Reckoning
by xWishfulThinking
Summary: After years of being trapped in her own world of self-hatred and pain, Akicho joins the Black Order to carve her own destiny and find out the truth about her past. At each fork in the road, she looks to her side to see Kanda, who proves to her over and over again that she is no longer alone. Kanda/OC
1. the exorcist's visit

**Welcome! ^^**

**This is "Reckoning," a Kanda/OC story brought to you by the person who did "Rainbow Shooter," "Starlight," and "He's Everything You Want."**

**I was bored in my bookstore, and I picked up a random Manga near "Death Note" and... it was "DGray-man." I'd heard of it... so I figured, let's just see it. I picked it up and began reading it and I fell in love with this series. I even finished the anime in about a month, all 103 episodes. I'm on volume 13 of the Manga, and, in late June, I was sitting down, watching the anime with a bowl of ice cream and a blank word document. And so, "Reckoning" was born. xD**

**Sorry to bore you with the backstory. I hope you all enjoy! :'D**

**PS: Yes, Tek-Tek, it's short. It's an introduction, nothing more. xD When was the last time you saw a good, long, introduction? I'm a James Patterson writer! Short leaves cliffies! 8'D -shot by Akuma- GAWD DAMN!**

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><p><strong>Reckoning<br>Chapter 1  
>the exorcist's visit. <strong>

I walked along the streets, gazing at the produce and other fresh products. The apples were especially ripe today. I examined a few, bought several, and continued down the streets of the market. It was very normal. Normal until I stopped at the town hospital. It wasn't much; just a shack with a large sign that read "Nurse Emiko" on it. On this particular day, the smell of death was lingering all over the area. I gagged and pulled a cloth over my mouth and nose to cover the stench. Looking around, Emiko was nowhere to be found. She was the only person who decided to look past my tragic beginnings. She allowed me a place to stay and gave me a purpose in life.

A door closed to a room and Emiko came down the stairs, a saddened and disheartened look on her face. I knew that look. She had failed to save someone from Death's hands once again. "Oh… Aki. Welcome home." She smiled sadly. "Thanks so much for doing all that shopping today." She smiled wearily as she picked up a cup of tea.

"What's wrong?" I asked instinctively, putting down the basket of fruit and other food on the table. She stopped and put the teacup down on the table. She stared down at the unmoving liquid as she sighed heavily. "It's Kazeo, isn't it?" I assumed, knowing the look on her face. It was the look that she only wore when she couldn't help a patient off of their deathbed.

She nodded sadly. "I've done all I can for him. Do you think that you could… you know, help him go painlessly?" she suggested with a hopeful look. I froze. I never wanted to do any of the things she asked me to.

I focused my attention on packing away the groceries. "No," I blatantly refused. She opened her mouth to protest, but I cut her off, "No, Emiko. I can't. I won't. It's wrong to do this."

"But, but… You need to eat!" she replied, almost shrill. "You know you'll die at this rate! You need to keep yourself alive… Please?"

I sighed. "With Kazeo's permission, and with his permission only. I'll go up with you to ask him." I watched as Emiko's face lit up. She latched her arm with mine and dragged me upstairs to Kazeo's room. She opened the door and I gazed sadly at her patient. He must have looked quite handsome before he caught this disease. He was too young to die. Yet there he was, lying on his deathbed, looking pale and sickly, gazing at Emiko as she spoke gently to him. He replied to her pleas with only a weak nod of his head. She smiled sadly and kissed the top of his head, muttering soft words to him. Standing, she looked to me. I was standing in the doorway of his room and she nodded with a solemn face. "So he agreed to it?" I asked quietly as she walked up to me.

She hugged me without another word. "I assume you don't want anyone to see, correct?" she guessed. I nodded to her. "Well, there's another patient sharing the room with Kazeo."

"You just close the door," I told her. "I'll take care of everything else. Don't worry. I'll just close the curtain," I replied, pushing her away. Emiko nodded, closing the door behind her. I moved the curtains in front of the bed, blocking it from view. I stopped when my gaze caught the eye of a white-haired boy who had bandages wrapped all around his shoulder. His eyes narrowed at me, and I could see his left blue eye turn a distinct red. I nodded to him and slipped through the curtains, moving them behind me.

I sat beside Kazeo and stroked his hair. "This… this will make sure you go on," I whispered to him. He nodded numbly, agreeing to the help I was offering and to help me in return. "I'm so sorry," I choked out. "You don't deserve this."

"No…" he rasped. "This… is what… I want…"

Holding back the tears threatening to fall, I pushed his eyes closed. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his, feeling how weak his spirit was. As I drew back, he coughed harshly, his body seeming to convulse. But as he settled down, his breathing slowed until it stopped. A greenish ball of light rose from his mouth. I took it in both hands as his head rolled to the side. I put the light in my mouth and swallowed it. I could feel its power rushing through my body. I almost choked on the taste, though. It was that of someone who had given up on their life. To most like me, it tasted sweet. But to me, it was only bittersweet. That's when the tears I had tried to contain swept forward in a burst of weakness. I pulled the blankets over his face, making sure he looked like he was asleep. It was then that I knew that Kazeo had safely passed on to the next world. Then why was it that I still felt bad? Maybe it was because I'd killed him. I was responsible for his death.

The curtain was yanked back. The white-haired boy was glaring at me. "You're an Akuma!" he cried. My insides froze over; how had he figured it out? "Get ready, 'cause you're gonna be moving on to your next life!" he cried.

I stood from the chair. "Yes, I am an Akuma. But I'd rather not move on to my next life yet. I'm just living the life that was stolen from me. Please, just leave me be." The boy was clearly taken aback by my response, so I continued, "I'm not ready to die. That's why I came back as an Akuma." Turning around, I flashed the boy a small, teary-eyed smile. "My name is Akicho Lamuria."

Emiko walked in. "Oh, Mr. Walker! Please, you shouldn't be up! Get back into your bed! I wouldn't want your wounds to get any worse!" As she pushed him away, she changed from a beautiful girl to a skeleton, only for a brief second. I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands. She turned around. "Akicho… let's get some tea."

-ALLEN WALKER-

Allen smirked, sitting up. So, that hospital attendant was an Akuma. Just as he invoked his Anti-Akuma weapon in his hand, he heard a loud crash and a screech from downstairs. He slid out of his bed, wincing at the pain in his shoulder, where he had been injured. Pushing away the pain, Allen dashed down the stairs. What he saw as he ran downstairs shocked him.

Emiko had Akicho in a chokehold with a knife on the floor underneath Akicho's feet. There were shards of glass strewn about, and a tea stain was all over the pretty white tablecloth. Akicho was bleeding, the red liquid dropping from the gashes all over her arms and legs, on the polished wooden floor. Allen couldn't see, but he was absolutely sure that she had a bunch of cuts on her chest and back, as the top of her dress was stained crimson red. She was fighting hard against Emiko's hold, kicking at the Akuma and scratching at the hand around her throat, gasping for air as she struggled.

Allen's gaze narrowed and his left eye saw an Akuma in both the girls, reinforcing what he had suspected. But the one in Emiko was insanely malicious. Akicho's Akuma was kinder, more innocent, like the soul of a child. He was almost glaring at the Akuma named Emiko, and yelled, "Let her go!" The evil Akuma turned her head and calmly glanced at the Exorcist. Allen immediately invoked his Anti-Akuma weapon, rushing forward and slashing right at Emiko's face. Her skin fell off with a shriek of the girl, leaving behind a skeleton, which turned into a young man with a smiling face. He was being taken away, and he reached out for Akicho. She was lying on the floor, struggling to get up. The boy disappeared in a flash of light. Allen looked to Akicho and rushed over to her. "Rest a bit." At his voice, she opened her eyes and scrambled away from him, her eyes wide with fear. "Don't worry," he assured her. "I'm not going to hurt you. You've gone through enough surprises today." He smiled gently, and stood up, moving towards the door of the cottage.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

"Wait," I called, my voice hoarse. The boy turned back around. "Who… who are you, Exorcist?" He seemed to think for a moment before moving.

He knelt before me and held a hand out for me to take. "My name is Allen Walker, Miss, and I think I know of a place that you can get help for your injuries if you need it at all. And if you'll come with me, that is."

I reached out, but hesitated to take his hand. "But… aren't you an Exorcist?" Allen nodded and I bit my lip. "You're not going to try and kill me? You were right, I'm an Akuma, so why?"

He chuckled. "Miss, if I was going to attempt to kill you, we wouldn't be talking."

I laughed; this Exorcist wasn't mean at all, like the last few that had hunted me down over the past few years. "You're not like most Exorcists I've met, Mr. Walker," I pointed out, finally taking his extended hand. I noticed his other hand was a large metallic claw of some sorts. His Anti-Akuma weapon, I assumed.

Smirking, Allen shot back, "Well, you're not like most Akuma I've met, Miss Akicho. I've never seen one Akuma try to kill another or have an Akuma speak to me and not try and kill me." He pulled me up and I met his now-worried gaze. "Akicho… what happened to make you a target?"

I sighed. "Most Akuma that you've met are mindless toys of that crazy bastard the Millennium Earl," I spat bitterly, rubbing my arms, feeling the blood on them. I grimaced and rubbed the blood off of my hands onto my apron, continuing, "I escaped from his hold and fought for the control of my own life. He didn't appreciate that too much." Allen snickered a bit. "I was one of those desperate killers for over a year, which I am very ashamed of. Everyone in this town knows that I am a weapon, but they… respect me enough to leave me alone. More likely," I added, "they're all completely scared of me."

Allen looked at me with pity. "You know, I know a place where all of your intelligence and experience would do us good," said the young Exorcist. "Why don't you come with me?" he suggested, smiling a bit. I stared at his open hand with shock.

I don't know what made me trust him, an Exorcist, of all people, but there was a truth, a determined truth, in his silver eyes. I'd been seeking out the truth for years, and I was getting close to finding out what made me an Akuma. That is what I sought, and that is what Allen Walker could help me find. I nodded happily and placed my hand in his. His smile grew wider and he pulled me towards the front door. "Come on. Let's get moving. The Black Order is far, and I wouldn't want you to have to endure more than you already have." I gazed one last time at the only home I'd ever known, then followed Allen out the door.

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><p><strong>No Kanda in this chapter. Sorry. xD<strong>

**He come in in the next one... I think... -thinks- Yeah, he does. Um... so anyways, Review? xD**


	2. another lying truth

**Welcome back to "Reckoning," ladies and gents! Here, we introduce Kanda, Lenalee, and Lavi, three of the most amazing charas ever. It's a little... stoopid and cliche, but I have fun writing it. I really enjoy writing stuff like this, so I'd appreciate if you keep negative comments about Akicho to yourself. xD Although, even I think she becomes a bit of a Mary-Sue in the very end... it's still needed with the plot.**

**Besides, everyone thinks that every female character is a Mary-freakin'-Sue. I can't make my female chara fight without having someone going... "She's a Mary-Sue, 'cause she's strong and pretty!" Hun, if that's what you think, you're also saying that Lenalee's a Mary-Sue...**

**Disclaimer: D. Gray-man belongs to Katsura Hoshino. Akicho belongs to me. That is all.**

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><p><strong>Reckoning<br>Chapter 2  
>another lying truth.<strong>

Allen had taken me onto a train, but all he did the entire train ride was stare at a tiny green-glowing object. I was drawn to it as well. It seemed to be calling my name. "Allen?" I asked. His head snapped up. "What exactly is that?" I gestured to the green object.

He held it up gently. "This? This is Innocence. It's what's in an Exorcist's weapon. Innocence is what keeps every living thing in the world alive. It keeps you going, too, Akicho."

I smiled. "It's like one's soul, right?"

1He nodded. "Yeah. Hey, I should warn you," began Allen, his tone now very serious, "the people we're going to meet at the Black Order are really dangerous, especially to you, since… well, you get it, right? I'll be with you a lot of the time, but I really want you to be careful despite that. We're trained to not like Akuma at all, so me bringing one back to Headquarters will be stirring up some controversy."

I smiled gently and took Allen's cursed hand, squeezing it carefully. "I'm a weapon, remember, Allen? I'm pretty sure that I can take perfect care of myself, especially around people like you." His fingers curled around my hand and he returned my smile. "So, how does a game of cards sound to you?" I suggested slyly, holding up the deck I'd picked up from next to him.

"Sure," Allen agreed, smirking. "I'll warn you; I never lose."

-ALLEN WALKER-

Allen felt Aki latch onto his arm in fear. He couldn't really blame her for being afraid; the Black Order Headquarters was really intimidating, even to an Exorcist that practically lived there. He walked up to the doors and knocked. "Um, hey. It's Allen, coming back from the Village of the Skulls. I brought someone with me. They could be valuable to us." Aki's grip became tighter. "Don't look at her, please. I'd just like to speak to Komui."

The doors swung open and Allen carefully led the frightened girl into the Headquarters of the Black Order. People, both Finders and Exorcists, stared at her, whispering.

Inside Komui's disorganized office, the man was sitting at his desk, with Lavi and Lenalee behind him and Kanda leaning against the door. Lavi and Lenalee were shocked into silence, Komui was – for once – serious, and Kanda looked about ready to kill Aki.

"… and, I guess, that's what happened. Before you ask, I know it probably wasn't a good idea to bring Aki here, but… I couldn't just leave here there. She's a target that the Millennium Earl wants, and I know that he feels like most Akuma are only tools to use. But if he wants her, then she's valuable to us, to," Allen finished confidently, his hands shaking. Aki was behind him, staring at the floor. "Look, just leave her alone. If you want to blame someone, blame me."

Aki finally spoke up, albeit nervously. "No, it was my own fault. I never suspected Emiko to be an Akuma, so I didn't ask any questions." She twiddled her thumbs nervously, as she was speaking to a bunch of Exorcists who were supposed to kill her. "I'm really sorry I dragged the Black Order into this. I'll just go home now. I can handle this by myself. Sorry again. Goodbye, Allen." She turned around and moved towards the door, only to be stopped by a sword.

Kanda looked furious. "You're not leaving here alive, Akuma," he growled lowly. Aki looked down at Mugen with fear in his eyes. "Get ready to die." The sword point was at her throat in less than a second. Aki squeezed her eyes shut and Allen gasped. He wasn't ready to watch an innocent girl die. She was an Akuma, yes, but she was still just a teenage girl. He invoked his Anti-Akuma weapon and grabbed a hold of Kanda's sword. "What are you doing, bean sprout?" Kanda demanded angrily, directing his glare at Allen. Aki looked at Allen with shocked, yet grateful, eyes.

Struggling against Kanda's strength, Allen replied, "I'm not… going to let you kill her! Stop it!" With Allen blocking Mugen, the girl scrambled away from the wrath of the angry Exorcist. Kanda, now excessively angry, started to swing at Allen, who either dodged or blocked the hits. "Knock it off, Kanda!" he yelled, dodging another hit. "Komui, do something!"

Said man stood from his desk and demanded, "Kanda, Allen stop fighting." With one last angry glare, Kanda sheathed his sword and turned away. "Now, miss… Akicho, was it?" Aki nodded from where she was backed up against the wall. Allen knelt next to her and rubbed her back soothingly. "Will you tell us what happened to you?" he asked firmly, making it sound like an order rather than a question.

Aki shook her head slowly. "I'm afraid I can't." Everyone, even Kanda, looked at the scared, but confident girl who had refused. "You see, I have no memory of ever being human. I don't remember my old life. Not my family, not my friends, not anything that I loved to do. All I remember is waking up, alone and confused. That son of a bitch, the Millennium Earl was there, and for the first year, he treated me like his daughter. I couldn't help but trust him. He was all that I knew. But then, on my first real mission to defeat a bunch of Exorcists and take the Innocence they were after, I failed to do so and was almost killed." She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "He… he beat me. I have tons of scars like this," she pulled up her shirt, showing all of them what she was talking about. Lenalee gasped and Allen's eyes widened. A pinkish line across her stomach looked like it was fading, but still raw. Allen noticed that there was a mess of smaller lines just like the largest scar decorating her body. "I took it for around half a year. When I thought I was about to die, someone saved me from that bastard and put me back in the town I came from. He explained my past to me and… I began to live like I used to. My parents died, though. I did some digging to find out who they were. You might have known them. He was an Exorcist named Shiro Lamuria. My mother worked here as a Scientist, Manako Harakui."

Lenalee's eyes widened distinctly, and Kanda and Lavi turned to look at her more. Komui narrowed his eyes. "The Exorcist and Scientist who went missing almost nineteen years ago?" Allen looked at Komui. He'd been told about those two by General Cross some number of years ago. General Cross spoke very highly of Shiro Lamuria, calling him one of the greatest Exorcists to ever walk the halls of the Black Order.

Aki nodded. "The very same. Now, where was I? Um… well, in the past that my friend told me of, I had a twin sister. I lived with her and my parents for around ten years. We were always together. Her name was Kumari. When we were ten, I was murdered." Allen's gaze turned to pity. "The Village of Skulls was an Exorcist pit stop up until a few years ago. Most boys in the Village wanted to be Exorcists. I managed to make a whole gang of teenage boys mad, since my dad was an Exorcist himself. They got so mad, that they convinced all the boys in their year that I was an Akuma, which then, I wasn't." Komui's eyes narrowed even further, into slits, like snakes. "One day, coming home from school, they jumped me in an alleyway. My sister was brutally raped by them, and I couldn't do a damn thing!" Tears were forming in Aki's eyes, and she closed them angrily. "They made her watch as they sliced me open. My body was mutilated beyond recognition. It hurt. It hurt so much, that I can still feel the pain to this day. I wish that they at least didn't make Kumari watch. They made me watch and feel the pain as they sliced my body open and destroyed all of my internal organs, just to see if I was an Akuma. After an hour of torture, they decided that I wasn't a threat. So they left me there, bleeding to death."

Allen was on the verge of tears at the young girl's story. She was sobbing now, trying to wipe away the tears so they wouldn't see them. "It's alright," Allen soothed, wrapping his arms around the girl. "You're safe now."

She shook her head wildly. "No! No, I'm not!" she cried, sobbing. "You don't get it, Allen! When I died, Kumari was so upset that the Millennium Earl visited her and offered to bring me back. She agreed. At first, I was really mad at her for giving up her own life to bring me back, but then… I accepted that I had to live for the both of us." She glared at the ground. "I… then I… when I was put back into my village, I was twelve. I tracked down all of those boys who killed me. It was their fault that Kumari died. I tied them to the post in the square and burned them alive. That was after I slit their arms and legs open so they could see their own blood. I'm ashamed to say that I enjoyed hearing their screams. Their terrified screams was what I fed on for months. I'd taken all of their Souls and used it to fuel my own life. I've killed people, Allen. Now do you get it? That's the reason that them Millennium Earl wants me so much. I can't die as long as I'm feeding off the Innocence of the Human Soul. They've sent both Akuma and Exorcists after me. I've killed all the Akuma and escaped all of the Exorcists. You can't help me." She leaned into his shoulder and cried, Allen rubbing her back, while looking at Komui.

Allen shushed her, hugging her gently. "It's all right. You're safe now. They can't hurt you anymore. You won't ever hurt anyone again, since we'll make sure that you're going to be okay."

Komui looked both sympathetic and angry at the same time. "You brutally murdered those boys. Is that why you went into hiding like you did? I remember sending six Exorcists after you, but they all returned empty handed." He folded his hands and asked, "How in the world did you escape?"

"I changed my reading," she replied simply. At Allen and Komui's confused looks, she continued, "Exorcists find me by reading into my Innocence wave. I've learned how to control my Innocence wave and change it around to disguise myself. No one knows how my real Innocence wave." She smiled sadly. "Emiko did… but she was an Akuma the entire time… A damn Akuma!" she yelled curling up into a little ball. "Now… I'm just going to go. I have work to continue back in the Village of Skulls," she said coldly, standing up and moving back towards the doors.

Kanda's arm blocked her way once again. _At least it's not his sword this time,_ Allen thought with relief.

Gritting her teeth, Akicho snapped, "Let me through." Allen's jaw dropped; she spoke like that to _Kanda_! "God Damnit Kanda, just let me through!" Pushing him out of the way, she stormed out the door, slamming it behind her.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

Stupid Exorcists. I figured as much. I told them everything I knew, and the only thing they ask is how I escaped from their stupid Exorcists that came after me. It's not like they actually care about what happens.

"Akicho!" I stopped halfway down the hall. The white-haired, scar-faced Exorcist stopped right behind me, panting. "Where are you going? Komui made his decision!" he exclaimed happily. I closed my eyes. Komui had sent Allen down to kill me, I was sure of it. "He thinks that you should be able to stay here with us, since you probably have a bunch stuff to offer us, and since you're free from the Millennium Earl, it's most likely a good idea to have an Akuma on our side!" I turned in shock to see Allen smiling.

I managed a small, "Huh?"

Still smiling, he explained, "Well, I forgot to tell you, but I collected a piece of Innocence in the Village of Skulls, and that's how I hurt my shoulder. When we were on the train, I was staring at it because it reacted to you. It reacted again in Komui's office. So, we're going to see if you're an Accommodator for the Innocence." He extended his hand to me. "Come on. I'll take you to your room." Placing my smaller hand in his, I followed him up to a small room on the end. "Well, here we are. Your room is right next to mine, so if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Giving Allen a smile, I reached out to hug him. "Thank you so much, Allen. I'll be sure to visit you sometime." He hugged me back gently. "Thank you again. I'll make sure to see Komui tomorrow morning." After showing me a thumbs up, Allen walked into his room. I walked away, feeling satisfied with the room as I gazed at it. It was simple; a bed, a dresser, a painting, a small table, and a desk. I smiled and removed the picture of my family and myself from my coat.

Placing it on the table, I whispered, "Goodnight, mother, father, Kumari. I've decided to finally take a stand against the Millennium Earl. There're a bunch of people here that are going to help me. I'm going to become an Exorcist. I pray that you wish me luck." I bowed my head to their smiling faces.

_**I hope that your wish will come true, my daughter…**_

_Mother? You've never answered me before… Why now? Because I'm following in Father's footsteps? Avenging the reason that Kumari is dead?_

_**No. We're all pleased that you've finally found your calling. To save people, to destroy the Akuma. That is what you are meant to do.**_

_Thank you, Father. I'll try my best to live up to your expectations. I promise you that I'll always do my best!_

_**Just promise me that you'll be careful, okay?**_

_Of course I will, Kumari. I won't ever let your sacrifice be in vain!_

Smiling, I tucked myself into bed and closed my eyes. Sleeping was all that mattered to me at this point, since I hadn't slept for two days. As I fiddled with my sister's necklace, all I could think about was that I could be an Innocence Accommodator. It meant I could finally fight that bastard that made my life miserable. My fists clenched the soft pillow and I gritted my teeth in fury.

I had no intention of letting him hurt people. Even if it killed me, I'd stop him.

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><p><strong>First off, I <em>know<em> she has a tragic background. She's an Akuma, Goddamn it! Most Akuma have _died_. At least, that's what I was lead to believe, and I find dying at age ten... rather sad. If you don't, leave this fic, please. I worked really hard on editing her background, and I know she's a bit of an overdramatic character, but she gets better. I think. She became easier to write as the story went on.**

**Thanks to my reviewers, and I hope that this chapter was enough to keep you interested.**

**To answer questions beforehand...**

**Yes, she is an Exorcist _and_ an Akuma. You'll see why in the end. I should also explain the "Eating" thing from last chapter. I created this... link between the Heart, the Soul, and the Innocence. Innocence is something everyone has, but Exorcists can handle larger amounts of it. It links the Heart and the Soul together, also known as the Body and the Mind. When Akicho eats a Human's Innocence, she grows stronger, and severs the link between the Heart and the Soul, allowing the Human to die and move on. That's how Akuma evolve, by eating Human Innocence. Because Akicho is an Exorcist, she can handle more Innocence than a normal Akuma, which has allowed her to evolve quicker than other Akuma. It's all based on the Soul that the Akuma was stuffed with.**


	3. innocence of the tease

**Yay for failness! 8'D Now that I look at it, this chapter kinda sucks. ewe**

**When I finish the original, Imma rewrite the damn thing. I hate it right now, but hey, I hope you guys feel different.**

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><p><strong>Reckoning<br>Chapter 3  
><strong>**innocence of the tease **

Allen had awoken me early the next morning. He led me down to where Hevlaska kept the Innocence. Komui was waiting with her. "Ah. Akicho. Hevlaska, will you give me the Innocence?"

The white, dragon-like Exorcist nodded. "Of course, Komui." The greenish gear flew out from her body and landed in Komui's hand. He thanked her with a nod, which she returned as she stared at me. "So this is Akicho Lamuria? The Akuma with a kind heart."

I gulped. "So, Komui. An Akuma has finally wandered into the Black Order." I looked around for the source of the voice. "Miss, there is no need to fear from us. We are only the Great Generals, and we will not take action unless your Akuma side takes control of you."

"I won't allow that to happen," I replied firmly.

Another of the General's chuckled. "This girl has spirit. Unlike most Akuma, she will use her power to protect humans, is that correct?" I nodded firmly. I could see Allen give me a thumbs up and Komui's smirk widen. "She will be a great asset to us in the future."

Komui nodded. "Well, if the Generals accept you as an Akuma, we should, too. It's really an experiment, having you in the Order." He chuckled a bit and walked forward with the Innocence. "This may hurt, Akicho." He pressed the Innocence into my hand and damn, did it hurt! It felt like someone was slashing my hand open with a knife only to fill it with alcohol. I screamed, clutching my fist to my chest tightly. "It's alright," Komui soothed me. "It'll only hurt for a little bit. It's only because you're an Akuma." He was right. After a few more minutes of screaming and pain, the pain of the Innocence going into my body faded.

Falling to my knees, I panted and spat, "Damnit. Now what?" Allen knelt next to me and rubbed my back. "I'm okay, Allen."

"Now, I have to inspect your Innocence," Hevlaska replied. I nodded, and looked at Allen, who grimaced and shivered. A group of long tentacles wrapped around me and lifted me up to face Hevlaska. The tentacles forced their way into my chest, near where my heart should be, which was where I figured my power was centered. It felt so uncomfortable and I squirmed around in her arms. "Relax," Hevlaska warned. She lowered her face to mine. "10 percent… 28 percent… 57 percent… 84 percent… 87 percent. 87 percent is the maximum synchro rate that you are able to achieve with your weapon." Her tentacles retracted themselves and put me down. "Now… I'm able to tell something from your Innocence. Akicho Lamuria… your Innocence tells me that in the future, your world will split into two. You must be able to choose what you are going to become."

I echoed, "What I'm going to become?" Hevlaska nodded.

She continued, "Perhaps it will be Allen Walker's fate that rests with your decision, as will the lives of many others. Your heart is the one that will decide everyone's heart."

Komui clapped. "That sounds like an important prophecy. Do you remember it?" I nodded. "Good. Now, I should probably tell you the information we have about the Innocence. This information is secret, and only us, the Black Order, and the ones who have sided with the Millennium Earl." I shivered at the name. "One hundred years ago, a golden cube was discovered in the Earth." He proceeded to tell me about how humanity of thousands of years ago had left a message about the Earl and had managed to hold off his plan, but destroyed themselves, too. It was called Noah's Flood, or the Three Days of Darkness. The Millennium Earl was going to be the one to destroy the world. The Black Order was created to stop the Earl and the Earl created Akuma to stop the Exorcists.

"So, he's going to hunt down Innocence and destroy it," I concluded.

Komui nodded. "109 pieces of Innocence are scattered. We must collect them before he does. Or humanity will fall. Or the cube's prophecy will come true. If that happens, we all will die. That is why the Innocence has chosen you." I sunk to my knees. "Are you alright, Akicho?"

I looked up to see Komui peering down at me worriedly. "Yes, I'm fine! I'm just… so glad! I feel like I finally found where I belong! This is where I'm supposed to be, helping out the Order and taking down the Earl. It's what I'm meant to do." Komui's frown turned into a smile.

He smirked. "Well then, I guess I'll be working with you. It's nice to have you on board, Akicho. Welcome to the Black Order." He held out his hand and I took it, smiling brightly at him.

"Thank you! I'll do my best as an Exorcist. I won't let anything stop me, I promise!" I vowed, standing up shakily. "This will always be my place in the world."

Smiling, Komui replied, "Well, then let's go upstairs to my office. I think I have a mission perfect for you."

-ALLEN WALKER-

"What?" A very angry Japanese Exorcist, Kanda, slammed his hand on Komui's desk. The Chinese man simply sipped his coffee calmly. "There is no how, no way that I am working with the Akuma!" Allen watched as Akicho, who was fiddling with her new Exorcist coat, flinch and he narrowed his eyes.

Komui adjusted his glasses and put down his coffee cup. "Well, I'm sorry, but I can't send you or her off on this mission alone. I would send her with Allen, Lenalee, or Lavi, but Allen and Lavi just got back from missions and Lenalee left early this morning." Kanda grunted, but said nothing. "Here." A manila folder was pushed across the desk into Kanda's hands. Said Exorcist opened the folder and quickly scanned the mission.

He growled and thrust the folder at Akicho, who read it hastily. "What? But-but, I don't even know this person!" She looked worried, and kept going, "Can you at least give me a description of what he looks like?"

Suddenly, Kanda turned on her and snapped, "You'll know who he is when we see him. Now, let me just make one thing clear; you get in my way, I won't hesitate to cut you down."

Allen and Komui's eyes narrowed. "Kanda…" Allen warned.

"Take good care of her, Kanda," Komui said firmly. "Now, your train will take you to a town near your destination. There's a map on how to get there inside. Kanda, one of your old friends will be meeting you there." Kanda nodded, albeit stiffly. "You're dismissed. Allen, you may go downstairs."

-YU KANDA-

Of course, he was stuck with the newbie. Not to mention that she was an Akuma. He sighed and glanced at the girl next to him. She was looking around with awe; clearly, she'd never been outside her stupid little village. "Hey. Daisya can't draw maps. See if you can figure out what he was drawing." The girl – Akicho – gleefully took the map from him and gazed at it.

She asked, "What does the message mean?"

He replied, "We're looking for someone."

"So, let's just find the sign." Kanda gazed at her with confusion and irritation on his face. "Yeah, there's usually always a sign that tells people which way to go. And since we came in by train from the south, the north is where the sign should be! Let's get going!" She handed him back the map and began to walk off. He shook his head; how had she figured it out so fast? "Hey, Kanda! You coming or what?" Akicho called. She was at least four yards in front of him.

The Akuma was right. There was a sign. The two easily proceeded through the forest and managed to destroy a huge amount of Akuma. At least, Kanda did. Her weapon was still unable to be activated. The Innocence in her body was spreading, becoming stronger. She was unable to fight because of that. Damn Komui. He sent her on this mission knowing that, and now Kanda was stuck protecting her. Just what he needed. But she was smart, and he'd admit that. She knew who as an Akuma and who wasn't, and she told him who was and who wasn't. She led the way to the town and found the way to where they were headed.

"Hey, Kanda," Daisya Barry greeted the Exorcist. "Who's this?" he asked, gesturing to the girl next to Kanda. She was half hiding behind him, half gazing curiously at the hooded Exorcist. She looked up curiously when he asked for her identity. "She's an Exorcist?"

Kanda scoffed and looked down at her. "Yeah, sort of." With those words, she looked up at him quickly and then looked down dejectedly. "Look, what are we doing? Did you find him or not?"

The other Exorcist laughed. "Yeah." He turned to the Akuma next to Kanda. "My name's Daisya Barry. What's your name?" She backed up a bit as he peered at her with curiosity clear in his eyes. "Come on, I don't bite… much."

Kanda growled as she hid behind him and he yelled, "He's only Daisya! Get out from behind me, you idiot Akuma."

At those words, Daisya looked up at Kanda sharply. "She's an Akuma? How is she an Exorcist, then?" Kanda shrugged and pushed the girl away from him. "So, Innocence chose her to become an Exorcist. I wonder why God decided to choose her…"

The Akuma finally looked up at both of the Exorcists. "I'm not to sure why, either, but I do know that we're on a mission, right? So what are we supposed to be doing now?" Daisya glanced at her. "Look, don't trust me if you don't want to, but I'm an Exorcist, same as you. Now can we please just start this mission?"

Kanda smirked. He should probably have told Daisya that she had a wicked temper. He'd experienced it more than once on this mission. She would snap at him for any and every little thing that she thought he did wrong. From pointing a sword at a villager to ignoring her when she asked a question. He was growing to tolerate her because of how easily she was provoked. It was… kind of fun for him to make her mad.

Daisya put his hands up in defense. "Sorry! Gosh, didn't mean to upset you. Er… and the mission is to find General Froi Tiedoll. We kinda need him, since General Kevin Yeegar has, um… died." He looked somewhat amused by the expression of shock and horror that overtook the Exorcist-Akuma's face.

She began to sputter nonsense. She wasn't making any sense with any of her words. "They attacked a General?" she exclaimed. "B-But no Akuma would be stupid enough to do that! Only…" She trailed off and her eyes widened. "Only a Noah would be able to go up against an Exorcist General and win." Daisya and Kanda both exchanged a look. "What? Just because I know about the Noah, I'm suspicious? I am an Akuma and I am familiar with quite a few of the Earl's allies. I met the Noah Family a while ago."

That was all she would say on the subject, even after they met Noise Marie, another Exorcist.

Marie was an Exorcist that had heightened hearing and used a mass of strings on his fingers to defeat Akuma. He wasn't surprised at hearing that Akicho was an Akuma. In fact, he said that he could tell because he was able to hear the hearts of people. But Akicho didn't have a heartbeat, so he knew she wasn't alive. He actually bonded with her quite fast and they got to talking about the Black Order, Marie explaining how the Order worked. Yet Kanda and Daisya had defeated all of the Akuma with Mugen and the Charity Bell. She had tried to win, but her whole body started aching, and she backed off to hide. To everyone's surprise, none of the level one Akuma had gone after her, even though she was wearing the Exorcist uniform and had the Innocence.

All four of them had been fighting (in the Demon's case, hiding) and most all of the Akuma were defeated. Although, something struck Kanda as odd; Daisya's Charity Bell should have affected all Akuma, including Akicho, but she didn't seem to even notice the sound of the bell.

He pondered this as the group ran towards Barcelona. The General was certain to be there, and it was vital that they found him.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I really didn't understand. Why would they do that to the Black Order? I mean, I get that they've been on the Earl's side since… since forever, but they only ever got involved if it was a history-changing issue. Was the war between the Millennium Earl and the Black Order going to change everything forever? If it was, then it was a war that the Order couldn't afford to lose.

What I was really worried about was that Marie told us that there were swarms of Akuma were headed to Barcelona, and that they'd be there by nightfall. Daisya was convinced that we wouldn't make it in time. Clearly, he didn't know how fast the boat Marie had could go.

During the boat ride, I went over everything I knew in my head. I knew about the Generals; there were five, now four. We were looking for Tiedoll, Cross was missing, Klaud was last seen in Germany, and Socalo was heard from in Italy. General Yeegar was the only one dead. The Akuma were going after the Generals because of this one special piece of Innocence called "The Heart," and the Noah were involved and were getting ready to fight for the Earl. Just another walk in the park for us.

-TYKI MIKK-

As Lord Tyki Mikk walked through the streets of Barcelona, he mused, "Ah, I guess it's back to this life for a while." He'd been _trying_ to stay away from this life. But here he was, doing the Earl's dirty work. As he passed an apple stand, the woman at the stand gave him apples and advice to hide. An Akuma attack… That means Exorcists. Maybe whoever was on his "list" would be there, too. Anything was possible. Allen Walker… what was so important about this kid? As for the second name, that was something he could never do.

His past with this one person in particular was something that he could never let go and never betray. He supposed that he cared too much. The Portuguese noble sighed heavily as the sun set. Akuma… he hated a whole bunch of those things. He strolled through the city, listening to the sounds of the explosions and the screams. Tyki's dark side chuckled maliciously. He clearly enjoyed hearing the Finders crying out for help from their precious Exorcists. All of them were going to die, and Tyki Mikk, the Noah of Pleasure, was going to enjoy watching it.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

Damn it, damn it, damn it! Why was my Innocence so incredibly useless? I couldn't help anyone! I was running around, looking for the stupid Finders, any one of them that were still alive while Kanda and Daisya and Marie were all fighting to protect the city. I felt weak and alone… My Innocence couldn't protect me. All of the Finders I gathered picked up the remains of their fallen comrades. There was almost nothing; just clothing and ashes. I led them all to the large tower and left orders to contact Komui if possible. Reinforcements had to be sent as soon as possible. Only four Exorcists, one who was out of commission, couldn't hold off so many Akuma at once.

My golem rang and I listened to the conversation between the three men. They'd been separated; Daisya was east, Marie was west, and Kanda was south. I was currently in the east part, somewhere near Daisya. "There's safe… numbers… down… and help me." Daisya's golem was having some technical difficulties, but I knew what he was trying to say. I had to find him.

"Right!" I whispered. "I'm going to try and find you, Daisya. Are you high up, or what?"

He replied, "I'm… look for you…. Just… east, and we'll run into each other… hurry." There were so many Akuma around. I had to keep dodging all of them. Did Blood Bullets work on other Akuma? Huh… I didn't want to stick around to find out. Sticking together was the most important thing. "Hey, Akicho? You there yet?" I heard him ask.

I looked around; I was near an Italian-style restaurant called _Comedor Italiano_. "I'm near a restaurant. It's an Italian-style, around two and a half kilometers from the tower." Daisya was coming closer to me, fighting off Akuma along the way.

-TYKI MIKK-

Tyki's hat almost fell off and his apple dropped to the ground as an Exorcist came running out of the wall. The Exorcist, Daisya Barry, wasn't on his list. He was willing to let him go. However, the Exorcist had to start a fight with that bell of his. Tyki couldn't control his dark side; he had to kill him. Killing him, no matter of who was on the list, was the only thing that Tyki wanted. Forget his Noah duties, forget his loyalty to the Millennium Earl. All he wanted was that Exorcist. Dead. His hand curled into fists and his skin darkened.

"I only have so much patience!" The Exorcist's face was well worth it. No Exorcist had seen a Noah and made it out alive, except for that troublesome Allen Walker. It was time to rid the world of the Exorcist named Daisya Barry. Then he could move on to find the Walker boy.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

"Daisya!" I cried, running through the streets. I could hear his Charity Bell and another voice through the golem. A familiar laugh… a familiar voice.

… No. No way he could be here. There was absolutely no way in Heaven or Hell that he could be here. What was he doing here? And with Daisya, no less? It only meant one thing; Daisya was as good as dead if I didn't get there. I couldn't let that happen. My legs moved faster and as I rounded the corner, I saw them.

Daisya Barry, with his Charity Bell on the ground, hanging from a lamppost. The Charity Bell shattered, as did the Innocence. He looked as if he was crucified upside-down. His face was contorted with pain and he was moaning softly. He was dying, and I was too late.

Another man, this one with gray skin, looked well dressed, with a top hat and coat. He was chuckling darkly and had one hand raised. On his hand was a single purple butterfly. A tease butterfly, to be exact. Tyki Mikk was his name, and he was one of the ones only known as the Noah.

Daisya opened one eye and saw me in the back. "Run… Akicho…" he rasped before closing his eyes again. "Run." I was frozen as Tyki's golden eyes pierced my brown ones. He laughed a little.

"Oh, are you trying to warn her to run?" A vicious grin spread across the Noah's face as he turned back to Daisya and continued, "Well, that's a shame. She'll never run from me. We have a bond, you see. I guess I can tell you before you die. You know she is an Akuma, correct?" Without waiting for a reply, he laughed again. "I saved her, so now, she is in my debt. But that's all an Exorcist needs to know." The grin grew wider and more malicious in every way possible. "Say your last goodbyes, Exorcist." I gasped in horror as Tyki's hand ran through Daisya's heart, only to come out, clutching the beating organ in between his fingers. Daisya seemed to choke a little, then collapse. It was over; Daisya was dead. "Akicho… how nice to see you again." He hadn't turned to me. "You've sided with the Exorcists? I thought we agreed you wouldn't to anything to attract attention to yourself. I guess that promise has just been broken."

I hesitated to reply. "But… that means you also broke your promise. You said you'd never do anything to hurt me."

Tyki raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is it I've done to injure you?"

I looked at Daisya and shuttered. "Daisya was my friend. Even after he found out what I was, he didn't run from me. Like most people would." Tears began to form in my eyes. "He's one of the first people to accept me, even with my being a monster."

Laughing, the Noah moved forward threateningly, causing me to take a step back from him. "Let's let this one go, okay? Neither of us broke our promises. I'll see you later…" he whispered. I was about to ask him what he meant, but a knock on the side of my head forced my vision black and my mind blank.

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><p><strong>Yay for overdram? And yay for Tyki? xD Tyki-pon is my favorite.<strong>

**And before you say... "OMG, SHE'S A MARY-SUE." She's an Akuma. She's bound to have a little history with the Noah. Plus, there's this whole Arc that centers around this relationship. Don't comment and say that she's becoming a Mary-Sue. I suck at writing Tyki, plus, I love him too much to make him _totally_ evil. :P Just bear with me, and I hope you won't be disappointed.**

**Reviews make me happy. :) Make my smile turn bigger!**


	4. mourning sunset

**Welcome back! Hope you enjoy! Oh, and please read the note at the bottom; it'll explain some things.**

**Disclaimer: DGray-man isn't mine. It's Katsura Hoshino's. But I own Akicho! ... Not much of an accomplishment, huh?**

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><p><strong>Reckoning<br>Chapter 4  
>mourning sunset <strong>

-YU KANDA-

At dawn, Marie and Kanda found Daisya's golem. He was crucified upside-down, bound by his feet. At the bottom of the lamppost was the Akuma-Exorcist, Akicho. At first, Kanda swore to himself she killed him. She looked as if she was asleep, but an oversized cut on the side of her head said otherwise. She'd been attacked, too? The Finders began to surround the bodies of both Exorcists, one dead, one alive.

Kanda and Marie decided to go after the remaining Akuma, leaving Daisya and Akicho in the care of the Finders. Little did they know who they would find.

The Akuma were surrounding General Tiedoll. They were coming from all sides, but when the two Exorcists arrived, all of them were gone. The General was standing there, drawing. When Kanda called for him, the man was calm. "Ah, Kanda! It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Master, we have grave news," Marie said lowly. "You may want to sit down for this."

As soon as Daisya was mentioned as "dead," the General lost all self-control and began to sob for his student. "He was such a good kid, even though he used to break my glasses with his Charity Bell."

Kanda piped up, "His body is being shipped to the Order. We're supposed to accompany him, and we'd be honored if you'd join us." Tiedoll didn't reply; simply asked for confirmation about Daisya's hometown.

A shadow stood behind them. "Sorry I'm late. We lost a lot more people than I originally thought." Kanda and Marie turned to see Akicho. "We lost almost a hundred of our people, not including Daisya. All of them are being shipped to headquarters later today." Noticing the sobbing old man who was burning a picture of Bodrum, she asked, "This is General Tiedoll," she said in surprise.

"Yes," said man replied. "I'm honored that you'd ask me to accompany you and Daisya to the Order, but I'm a General. We are at war, and we cannot afford for me to step off the battlefield. If God hasn't forsaken us, we should be on the lookout to discover and train new Exorcists." Both Kanda and Marie sighed resignedly. They knew he would say something like that. Akicho, however, was somewhat shocked at his reply.

She looked up at him. "I don't understand, sir. There are other Generals, and the Akuma are going after the Heart. Because you're a General, they suspect you of having it. You're in terrible danger, sir!"

General Tiedoll looked at her in surprise. "How do you know about the Heart? No one outside of the Order knows about it." She looked down. "You are not human, I suppose?" She shook her head to affirm his guess. "Well, it seems that you have more than a few things burdening you. Why don't you talk about it?"

She glanced at the other two Exorcists nervously, but nodded. "I guess I've been hiding my life for too long. Kanda has heard parts of my past, but I didn't tell all of it. If you want to hear my past… you should know that it's not very pleasant."

After getting a nod to go on from Tiedoll, she took a deep breath. "Kanda, you know that when I was ten, I woke up with no memory of who I was. I was lying on a wide beach. No one was there but me. I wandered around for so long that I lost track of time. But after a while, a man appeared to me. I think you know who he is. He said that my name was Akicho, and that I was part of his family." She shook in her trauma and continued, "The Earl took care of me. I was introduced to the Noah Family. They became my reason to live. All of them were so kind to me, but I guess it was all just an act. Once I was healed and trained, the Earl sent me out on an important mission to kill a group of Exorcists and take the Innocence they were after as well as their own. I failed. I lost over half my regiment of Akuma and the Exorcists got the Innocence they were after." The tremors in her body continued to get worse as her memories flashed in her eyes. "He hit me for the first time. It wasn't even a hit, but more like he was trying to kill me. I continued to get weaker and weaker as I failed more missions. If it wasn't for the Noah, I wouldn't be here right now."

Tiedoll glanced at the shaking girl. "You have nothing to hide. I understand why you wanted to kill people now. You had no choice in the matter if you wanted to survive. I won't blame you for this, as long as you decide that you are on our side."

She stood up shakily. "I'm going to try and get this blood off my uniform. Please excuse me." Walking away, she stumbled a few times.

Kanda crossed his arms. "She's hiding something from us. That isn't at all everything that she knows." Tiedoll nodded in agreement.

"We're not going to let her know that now. Let's wait a few days."

For Kanda, the days passed by fast. No real Akuma battles, just Tiedoll being very patient with the Akuma-Exorcist as she tried to activate her Innocence. She wasn't able to activate it. All she knew was that she was a Parasite-type Innocence and that the anesthetic was supposed to have worn off. But knowing Komui, it lasted longer than that.

On the third day of trying, she was about ready to give up. "Face it, General. I'm not going to be able to activate it!" she cried out in frustration. She shrugged off Marie's hand. "I'm useless…"

Tiedoll laughed. "Just keep trying, Akicho."

Kanda looked up sharply, as did Marie. "Akuma are coming from the west," the blind Exorcist informed his comrades.

"Innocence, activate!" The General, Kanda, and Marie all activated their Anti-Akuma weapons, Akicho hiding behind a large tree.

The Akuma charged forward, cutting the Exorcists off from each other. Kanda found himself battling alone, Akuma surrounding him from all directions. He growled as he tried to slice all of them. Those damn things just kept coming, surrounding him from all sides.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I couldn't stand it. I could hear Kanda's growls and Marie's grunts. General Tiedoll's shouts were heard over the Akuma explosions. I shook in fear. I really was useless. Kanda was fighting all by himself. I couldn't stand being all alone with no weapon to fight the Akuma with.

Allen told me that he could see the souls of the Akuma. He told me that they were crying, weeping for the ones they loved. They were sad, tormented. I wondered if my soul felt that way. Allen wouldn't tell me. But if what he said was true, then all of those Akuma that Kanda, Marie, and General Tiedoll were battling were crying for their loved ones. I wanted to help them. Both the Exorcists and the Akuma.

_Innocence… activate._

-YU KANDA-

Those Akuma were like cockroaches. They either wouldn't die or they just wouldn't go away. It seemed like there were more than there were in Barcelona. Kanda growled again, raising Mugen in a defensive position.

_**Boom.**_

One of the Akuma exploded, leaving it in smoke. A single figure stood in the smoke, one arm raised. A group of fireballs lashed out of the smoke, hitting several Akuma and destroying them. "If I were you, I'd stay away from my teammates," a feminine voice spat dangerously. "May your souls find their place in Heaven," Akicho said, raising her arm again.

Several more fireballs shot out of her hand, destroying all the level ones around Kanda. Her hand closed, and a spear of ice formed in her hand. She lunged at the last Akuma, a level two, as Kanda rushed to help Marie. A loud boom rang through the air as Akicho stood up, the ice in her hand melting.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

The Innocence was telling my brain what it could do and how to do it. I could use types of magic involving fire and ice. My blood, which Akuma, like me, gained after killing, fueled the magic that I could use. That was how it worked. I panted a little; using the Innocence was more strenuous on my body than I though.

Tiedoll was standing over me. "I knew you could do it, Akicho. Nice job, too."

That praise was all I needed. I continued to fight the Akuma as the gathered in smaller numbers as we continued on our way to the next town.

-ALLEN WALKER-

Lenalee and Allen were sitting on the stairs in the middle of the Barcelona, grieving for the lost Finders they had found in the once-beautiful city. The Akuma had struck, killing dozens of members. The two teenage Exorcists weren't in time to fight in the Barcelona fight, and their friend, the Finder, Devon, from Germany, died in Barcelona.

"Hello you two." It was General Tiedoll, with Akicho, Kanda, and another Exorcist that Allen didn't know. He rushed down to hug Akicho.

He pulled away and asked, "Are you alright?" She nodded. "You're not hurt, are you?" he demanded, looking her up and down.

Akicho laughed. "Allen, I'm fine. But…" she broke off, gazing around, "I'm afraid I can't say the same for one hundred and forty-eight members of the Black Order. Six Exorcists were killed, according to Komui, and one hundred and forty-two Finders died, too."

General Tiedoll nodded. "That means that four of the Generals have been attacked. My unit lost Daisya, Socalo lost Reed and Lavon while Suman Dark is missing, and Klaud's unit was obliterated completely. I guess you can figure out who the Akuma are going after next."

Nodding, Allen confirmed, "My master." Tiedoll nodded in confirmation, and then gave them a helpful hint about Timcanpy. Tim had a tracking device for Cross. It pointed them east, and allowed them to go on their way to find General Cross Marian.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

Tiedoll and Marie were conversing, leaving me to walk with Kanda.

He kept glancing at me, then looking back at the other two in front of us. "So," he began, "you're an Akuma."

I giggled inwardly, knowing he'd probably decapitate me if I laughed. "And you're human," I pointed out. "Want to swap?" I suggested slyly, looking up at him.

"No."

Well, that was blunt. "You know, being an Akuma isn't so bad sometimes." He looked at me skeptically. "I mean, I know now that I have nothing to lose if I die. That way, I can devote my whole being to this cause, and only this cause."

Kanda scoffed. "You're pathetic. Losing everything isn't a good thing. Dying isn't a good thing. You've already won over the bean sprout and Komui. If you died, you'd hurt both of them."

I looked up at his face. His eyes were hard and his mouth was set in a straight, firm line. "I understand, but, and I know that I should live for the people that I care about and who care about me, but I just can't help it." I sighed and looked back in front of me. "You wouldn't understand. You know about your childhood, what happened to you since you were born. All I know is that when I was little, I died."

Stopping in his tracks, Kanda lowered his head, his bangs covering his eyes. "You have no idea who I am. You don't know anything." I looked at him again. His face was contorted, as if in pain. What happened in his past that could have made him like this? "Let's keep going. We slow down, we're getting left behind." I stared at his back as he kept walking.

I wondered how long this journey would take us. "General Tiedoll… do you think we're going to find new Exorcists in empty towns?" I asked skeptically, looking around the deserted village we were stopping in.

He shrugged. "Who knows? Perhaps there are some survivors. If there are, we're going to try and get a ride. We're going to be taking the long way around to help Allen and Lenalee to find General Cross."

_So that's what he's really doing…_ I thought to myself, laughing sheepishly.

General Tiedoll looked up into the sky and pointed to the east. "We're going to be going down and across the sea. To China," he continued. "And after that, perhaps we'll have to go even further, to Japan."

I'd never been to Japan before. The Village of Skulls was somewhere in northern England. But my family was originally Japanese. Kanda seemed to be Japanese, and I noticed that he froze when Tiedoll mentioned us going to Asia. Was being in Asia part of his past? It seemed to trigger some sorts of bad memories for him.

Looking at him, I asked, "Is something the matter, Kanda?" He looked towards me and scoffed. "Don't scoff. I just want to help you, if I can. I won't try and say that I understand, because I probably won't. But I want to know why your eyes are full of sorrow and torture."

He looked away and down. "I'm going to tell you one last time; you just wouldn't understand. I'm not going to tell you until you know a little more about me."

I smiled softly. "Then I'll wait. I'll wait until you're able to trust me."

-ALLEN WALKER-

He and Lenalee met Lavi and Krory along the way to Asia. They only confirmed what Akicho had said; one hundred and forty-eight people had died, not just in Spain, but in other battles, too. Then the bodies were all burned in a cremation ceremony. The shock of the loss put Lenalee into a deep depression as she sobbed for a long time. She kept staring at her hands, still sad.

As they went to the Rose Festival, Allen looked up at the sky. _Akicho… with so many already dead, I want you to stay safe. Then again, you're with Kanda and a General. You'll be careful, won't you?_

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

More Akuma were coming towards us. I learned the name of my Innocence; Reckoning. General Tiedoll helped me to name it. Fire and Ice were my current abilities, but the General also said that Reckoning would evolve over time and allow me to use more abilities.

My training had paid off well. I landed on the ground as my ice-sword melted away to water. The last of the Akuma screeched and exploded as Kanda sliced through it with Mugen. Marie's Innocence, Noel Organon, and General Tiedoll's Innocence, Maker of Eden, were being put away by their accommodators. I breathed in slowly and sighed. That was another battle over and done with. Kanda sheathed Mugen and looked to the east again. We were on the border to Asia, going into China. General Tiedoll had six pieces of Innocence, seven if you count the Maker of Eden, and ten if you include Kanda's, Marie's, and mine. That just made him an even bigger target for the Akuma and the Noah.

"_I'll see you later…"_

Tyki's words rang in my ears and I shook my head violently. Kanda looked over to me. "I'm okay," I replied to his look. "I'm just a little distracted today." Tiedoll looked over in worry. "I'm thinking about how it'll be to see where my family came from. I'm Japanese, and my parents and sister were, too."

Tiedoll nodded. "I understand."

After sparing him a small smile, I looked up into the sky. There would have to be at least one Noah going after Allen's group, and at least one going after us. I didn't want to have to fight one of them. Despite everything… they were my family.

The one thing I would never do is betray my family.

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><p><strong>AN:**

**Laytha, you mentioned something about the "Innocence Wave" being... nonexistant. Well, in order for the last bit of plot to work, I need to put that in. I'm sorry if it confused you, but no worries; I finished my elaborate plan for this amazing (not) story! The last bit of plot goes AU, so that might confuse you, too... But oh well!**

**And don't worry; Akicho/Allen is minor. It's a brother/sister pairing. But yeah... so yeah, reviews?**


	5. cross my heart

**Sorry for being MIA. School, life, all that fun stuff. :) Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Reckoning<br>Chapter 5  
>cross my heart <strong>

"Just because you're a rookie doesn't mean I'll take it easy on you," Kanda called from across the field. I didn't reply, just readied the blade made completely of flames and narrowed my eyes at the Japanese Exorcist. "Alright, then."

He sprung at me and I leapt into the air only to come down behind him. Kanda noticed and spun around, slashing Mugen through the air and slicing my flame-blade in half. The fire found its other half and regenerated, leaving me with a newer blade. Kanda smirked and ducked as I swung my blade at him.

General Tiedoll and Marie both watched as the two of us swinging our swords at each other, ducking, swinging, blocking, and slashing. I finally conceded as I knelt on the ground, panting. My blade vanished into the air. Kanda stood up and sheathed Mugen with a smirk clear on his face. I glared up at him before picking up a bottle of water and taking a long drink. Kanda didn't even seem to need any water. He just sat down against the tree.

-ALLEN WALKER-

He really hated Akuma now. Lenalee had to fight herself, and now both of the Lenalee's were kidnapped. Allen and Krory were running after the spider-like Akuma while Lavi went after the scorpion. They just didn't know which one they were after.

-LAVI-

Lavi was going after the scorpion, and he was stuck playing Whack-A-Mole with the damn thing. Seriously, he was never good at that game, no matter how much fun it was. Lavi continued to swing his hammer over and over and over again at the Akuma. It kept dodging until he finally got in a hit, destroying the Akuma and getting Lenalee back from the Akuma.

Now to find out which one he got.

-ALLEN WALKER-

So he got the fake one. The real Lenalee would never choose to abandon a friend. And Allen had an idea of who the fake Lenalee was. Lulu Bell, another member of the Noah family. Krory walked up next to Allen as the two decided to see who the fake Lenalee really was. But an explosion created enough smoke and debris to allow her to get away. Now they were separated from Lavi and the real Lenalee, and there was no way of getting back.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I was on watch that night. It was easy for me, as I couldn't sleep. My dreams were haunted by the vision of the Millennium Earl. The missions he sent me on as a small child were running through my mind. I couldn't sleep. Sighing, I adjusted myself in front of the fire. I lazily gazed around the small clearing. Kanda was sleeping straight up against the tree, a peaceful expression on his face, much different from his usual scowl, Marie was lying flat on his back, his eyes pointed towards the sky, and the General was on his side, covered by his cloak. Smiling, I shifted again to poke the fire in front of me.

"Hey," a voice from my left said. Kanda was awake now. "You haven't slept in two days. Don't try to hide it," he continued, interrupting what I was about to say. "I can see the bags under your eyes. I guess even you Akuma need to sleep, huh? Well, why aren't you?"

I sighed again and looked back to the fire. "I can't sleep. I can't really explain why; I just can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see these… images of every horrible thing I've ever done. I just can't continue to do this to myself. Either way, it's torture."

A soft blue blanket slapped me in the face. Removing it, I saw Kanda setting himself up to begin his turn on watch. "Sleep. I'll wake you up if your nightmares seem to get really bad. You can't survive without sleeping." He seemed almost… worried about my well-being. "I mean it. Sleep."

Pulling the blanket over myself, I closed my eyes. This time, the nightmares weren't as bad. There were memories of the Order and my time with Allen, then more of my time with Kanda, Marie, and Tiedoll. Why were the nightmares going away with just a little bit of care from a comrade? It was like the high points in my life were flashing in my mind. A smile spread on my face as I watched it all.

The sunrise woke me up, flashing in my face. My eyes opened slowly to see Kanda fast asleep, clutching Mugen. Marie and the General were still asleep, too.

I giggled a little as I sat up. The fire had gone out, the embers still sparkling a bit in the ash. I took the blanket and folded it, then placing it next to the sleeping Japanese Exorcist. I knew there must be food from the last village in the packs that were next to Tiedoll. Opening one, I found a lot of soba noodles. I blinked a few times, looking through the other packs. Two were full of soba, and the other three were of normal food. Looks like I'd have to learn how to make soba in order to survive with these three men. I laughed a little bit and put all but one of the packs down. The soba was Kanda's, I guessed. Ah, he could murder me later. Emiko had made soba once or twice for us, and I learned a little bit.

-YU KANDA-

Kanda's eyes opened slowly to see the fire going and a metal pot above the fire. He stood and walked over, confused, to see soba being boiled in the pot. He raised one eyebrow and carefully picked out a single noodle. After eating it, he picked up the pot and drained the water, careful to leave the soba in the pot.

"Oh, Kanda. You're up?" He turned to see Akicho with four clean plates and a bunch of chopsticks. He looked down at the pot of soba. "Oh. Right, the soba. Sorry if it's overcooked; this is my first time making it." She laughed a little bit. "Here. You're going to need a plate to eat, right?"

He walked over and took the plates from her along with the chopsticks. "It's not overcooked," he told her shortly. "Wake up Marie and the General." She laughed happily as he knelt down to scoop the soba onto the plates.

When the other Exorcists were woken up, they all began to eat. Kanda had to admit; it wasn't half bad. Not as bad as the rabbit's attempts, at least. "Well, Kanda?" Said man's head snapped up as his master smiled at him. "Did Akicho's soba live up to your standards?" Kanda looked away, to his left, away from Akicho and Marie. Tiedoll laughed. "I'm guessing that it did."

"Che." Kanda stood and put the plate in the now-empty pot. "She's as good as a normal restaurant."

Marie smirked somewhat. "I guess you could call it a compliment, coming from Kanda." Akicho nodded and put her plate with Kanda's. "Kanda, I still need more practice. Could you spar with me again?" He nodded and followed her to a clearing.

They'd been practicing like that for days. They were now in the middle of Italy, still traveling south. Kanda always won, but Akicho was slowly getting better. She was gaining more control over her Innocence and her abilities. Akuma were still going after Tiedoll, and they were still losing big time. Akicho was now having no remorse for destroying Akuma, no matter what. Kanda's respect for the young Akuma was rising from zero to around… ten, out of a hundred.

As the two Exorcists continued to spar, Kanda didn't notice that Tiedoll and Marie were appearing to watch them. As Kanda jumped back, he noticed something in the distance. A mass of level two Akuma was speeding towards them. "Be on your guard. There's a bunch of Akuma coming," he warned the girl as he readied Mugen for battle.

Akicho nodded and created a long spear of fire in one hand, another of ice in the other hand. "Let's go." Marie and the General both activated their Innocence, too. The Akuma were less than ten feet away when they started to attack. Akicho was the first to take action, hurling her spears and arrows in every direction. Kanda proceeded to slice several in half, while Marie cut through one Akuma after the other and the General destroyed dozens at once.

Kanda growled; there were so damn many of those things! He kept doing his best to cut them all down, but every time he got rid of one, it seemed like two more replaced it. How was it possible that so many Akuma were created? He sliced again, cutting down three in one hit. He looked over to Marie, who also seemed to be struggling, and his master. His master was doing just fine, it seemed. But Akicho also seemed to be struggling a bit. He yelled, "Underworld Creatures, First Illusion!" A large swarm of supernatural bugs swarmed around the clearing, destroying the last of the Akuma attacking Kanda. He turned to Marie; he was almost done. He turned to Tiedoll; he was watching the battle. He turned to Akicho; she was surrounded.

"Why don't you guys just give up?" Kanda heard her shout, destroying another three or four Akuma. "Ugh, now I remember why I hated fighting with you guys…" She sent several large chunks of ice at a number of Akuma, successfully destroying all of her targets. She continued to fight, oblivious to the one Akuma sneaking up behind her, aiming its guns.

Kanda jumped up and sliced the Akuma in half before it could get to her. "You owe me one," he snapped, quickly turning to her before turning and destroying the rest of the Akuma. He just missed her soft smile as she continued to defeat the Akuma.

After around three minutes, Kanda sheathed Mugen. The battle was over, and everyone was relatively unhurt. Akicho was panting slightly, and soon enough she fell onto the ground, out cold. Kanda looked at her, then proceeded to pick her up and drag her along with him back to their camp.

Tiedoll and Marie were already there, Marie bandaging his wounds. Tiedoll looked up at Kanda, who was holding the unconscious girl around her waist. "Is she okay, Kanda?" Marie followed his master's gaze and his eyes widened. "Marie, take care of her." Said Exorcist nodded and took the girl from Kanda.

Marie looked her over, checking her for wounds. He looked up, relief in his eyes. "She'll be okay. She's only exhausted."

Kanda scoffed. "Typical Parasite-types." He looked down at the girl's face and glared a little. "You are so troublesome, you know that?" he demanded of the girl. Tiedoll watched with an unreadable expression on his face while Marie bandaged her head.

He looked up to the sky; they were almost out of Europe, near the ship to Asia they were going to catch. They had to get there in time.

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><p><strong>This chapter is damn short. Dx But oh well, at least it's an update, huh? xD<strong>

**It took me a while, but I finally decided how to finish this story. :'D It's not a very good ending for you guys, but hey, not a lot of DGM stories are supposed to have happy endings. ... Right? Dx Anyways, I'm around 19/30 chapters into the story, and I might have to take a hiatus on both this story and Rainbow Shooter to finish it, plus the fact that I have school. D:**

**Sorry bout that guys, but I'll put a notice out if I do actually need to. :)**

**For every review, Allen gets Mitarashi Dango! :D **


	6. trapdoors

**Reckoning  
>Chapter 6<br>****trapdoors **

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><p>It turns out Marie was right. I was only tired, and we were back on the road. What was kind of annoying was that every time we came across a new scene, the General had to sketch it. There we were, waiting on a bridge for Tiedoll to finish his sketch. Turns out that there was someone else there, too.<p>

His name was Alphonse Clouse, and he was an artist. We were on a carriage, listening to Alphonse and the General converse about art and architecture. "These three are my travel companions. The two men are Kanda and Marie, and this young woman is Akicho."

Alphonse smiled warmly and held out his hand to Kanda. "It's nice to meet you." Kanda sent a glare at the man's hand and looked away, scoffing. It seemed that's what he did an awful lot. "Eh?"

Tiedoll seemed to find it somewhat amusing. "Don't mind him. He's kind of shy, but it's nothing personal." It turns out that he was going to visit Yon's Mansion. Kanda commented that it was stupid, but no matter what, Tiedoll decided to go along with them.

However, our pleasant ride was so rudely interrupted by a small group of level one Akuma. Kanda and I jumped out of the cart. "You take left, I'll take right!" I shouted over the shots. He nodded and soon enough, all of them were destroyed. "That was too easy." Kanda smirked. But two had gotten away from Kanda and Marie. But the cart had left us, forcing us all to walk.

We did so, walking to the next town. "The Akuma got here first, didn't they?" I asked, looking at the clothing that was sitting up in the restaurant. Marie found them, and we chased all of them east. Kanda destroyed two or three, and Marie got the one, but the last one escaped. It lead us to the Mansion.

Three Akuma were waiting for us. They invited us in, and we went, not without the General advising Alphonse to leave. Kanda growled at the Akuma's invitation, as he considered it to be their idea of them mocking us. Inside the mansion, the first thing we ran into was a dead end.

"Great, now what?" I mused.

Tiedoll and Marie were inspecting a rope, which the former decided, in a moment of sheer brilliance, to pull. A trapdoor opened underneath Kanda and me, shooting us through the floor. I landed on my back, while Kanda landed on his feet, Mugen unsheathed. Marie and Tiedoll followed quickly, coming out through another door.

The General only seemed amused at Kanda's defenses. "Take it easy, Kanda. Our enemies haven't even appeared yet! Besides, you remember what Alphonse said, right?" Kanda sheathed Mugen and turned towards the one door in the room as Tiedoll helped me up. "This house was designed with fun in mind, after all, Novak spent forty years building this house. He poured every ounce of playfulness he had into this mansion."

As soon as Kanda touched the doorknob, it swung open right on his face. It swung back into place. He held his face in pain. I raised one eyebrow and giggled a little as he sent a dangerous glare my way. That door just didn't seem to like him. "The floor plan isn't that simple."

We kept traveling through the mansion, experiencing every strange thing we could, thanks to the General. Some of it included masks, staircases, and trapdoors. Lots and lots of trapdoors. And of course, the one time that Kanda warned General Tiedoll to not touch anything, and he didn't listen, we were surrounded by Akuma that were staying in the roof of the room.

I immediately jumped back and created an oversized fireball. Holding it up, I made it release a vortex of fire, engulfing a huge number of the Akuma. Kanda, Marie, and General Tiedoll were slicing through the Akuma. "That's all of them?" the General asked, peeking out from around the bookshelf. "Well, then let's get a move on, shall we?" He approached the door and was about to open it when Kanda stopped him.

"Sir, let me open it." Kanda tugged on the doorknob, twisting it left and right, but it wouldn't budge. He pulled harder, almost ripping it out of the door. "Damn thing won't open!" he snapped.

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Kanda. I get how to open the door. Step away for a minute." He looked at me, half glaring, half confused. I simply smiled smugly and opened it by sliding it open. "See?" I jumped back as Kanda unsheathed Mugen; there were dozens of Akuma behind that door. "Oh damn it!" I cried, falling back. Kanda charged forward, slashing through the Akuma that were behind the door. I sent another huge fireball at them, successfully destroying them as we chased the Akuma down the hallway, Kanda finishing them off as we arrived in another room with a high ceiling.

A loud cackle rang through the room as Marie and Tiedoll arrived. "Welcome, Exorcists!" The three Akuma that led us in here were standing up on a high beam. They were going after the General. "Why don't we set the stage for this battle?"

One of the Akuma pulled a lever on the wall. The room started shifting and Alphonse fell through, landing in front of Tiedoll. I looked around and watched as shelves and ladders rose. Kanda jumped on top of the moving shelves and Marie was pushed up by a ladder. I created an ice-blade and pulled Clouse over to one of the shelves. "Get in, and stay quiet," I whispered harshly. Kanda went after the smiling Akuma and the rest of them came after him. The sad Akuma wrapped itself around Marie. As Kanda and I ran to help him, we got trapped in separate cabinets. The happy Akuma went after Kanda while I faced the angry one. "Die." I knew that their faces were their weak spots.

"Damn you, Exorcist!" the Akuma cried. It flew out of the cabinet faster than I could go. The cabinet sliced in half, courtesy of Kanda, and he dashed after the Akuma. I heard a cry for help somewhere in the room, and I realized; I'd left Clouse completely unprotected.

I hissed and cursed, "God damn it!" Rushing towards the shouts, I kept slicing through the shelves. "Stupid shelves, stop popping up everywhere!" I yelled, still cutting through the room. I finally found Clouse, hiding underneath a broken shelf. "You are nothing more than trouble." He looked sheepishly apologetic as I pulled him across the room towards Tiedoll. I growled a little as the Akuma forced all of us together. "You know, I really hate you guys right now."

A strong breeze picked up around us, growing stronger and picking things up. It was like a vortex, swinging things around and such. Several broken cabinets swung into the wall, loosening bricks and all sorts of things. Tiedoll's smile grew. "Looks like her Innocence is evolving."

Kanda looked at him in mild shock. "Are you saying that her hatred and frustration is making her Innocence stronger? Like the bean sprout's arm?" Tiedoll simply nodded. The room was completely destroyed as I finished with the vortex and fell to my knees, panting. Kanda stepped in front of me and spat, "Now there's nowhere left for you to hide."

The Akuma were only standing there. "That was quite a show… but you over did it." We looked down; the floor was cracking and shaking. We all fell through the floor, Marie grabbing onto Clouse and Tiedoll and me landing safely on one of the ledges. Kanda aimed Mugen, but it kept sliding until it hit a log, shaking the Exorcist off. He reached out for the ledge as he fell, but missed by less than an inch.

I gasped. "Kanda!" Diving down to grab Mugen, I slammed it into the wall while grabbing Kanda's hand.

He looked up and said lowly, "Let go, or you're dead, too." How could he say that? He was going to fall and he told me to let him go, and fall to his death? He was my teammate. I wouldn't let him die like that.

Smirking, I held on tighter and began to pull him up to the ledge. "I'm already dead. And I'm going to save you."

He didn't reply, only scoffed. "Che." I pulled him up and handed him back Mugen. Tiedoll had pulled out his Innocence as I pulled Kanda up. The Maker of Eden was destroying the wall, letting us down, and forcing the mansion to collapse. He attacked the heart of the mansion and saved all of us. I squeezed my eyes shut, and when I opened them, I noticed the Akuma were above me. Kanda raised his sword as Marie trapped them. He sliced all three of them in half and landed.

Almost an hour later, Tiedoll was still weeping over the collapsed building. "That doesn't make any sense! He's the one who destroyed it!" Kanda protested quietly. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"I think it's just the way the General's mind works. He destroyed it so Clouse could have his own spotlight and build what he wants." I looked over to the excited architect and the General who were eagerly discussing the plot of land and all the ideas in Clouse's head for a house. "We should get going. General." He looked over. "It's time to go."

While we were walking away, I felt a familiar push at the back of my mind. Only one thought hit me. _Noah,_ I thought fiercely, whirling around. Luckily, the other three were all in front of me, but I noticed him. He was tall, and slightly fat, with a lollipop in one hand. He was looking around, his gray skin noticeable. He noticed me, too, and our eyes locked. It was him. Skin Bolic, the Noah of Wrath, was staring back at me, a grin on his face. He popped the candy into his mouth and raised a hand to wave at me, before he faded.

A noise behind me told me that Kanda had noticed him, too. "Something wrong, Kanda, Akicho?"

Shaking my head, I replied, "No. Just thought I saw someone. It's nothing." Kanda agreed, and we continued to walk, leaving the ruined mansion behind.

_First Tyki, and now Skin? Something big is going down…_

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><p><strong>You have no idea... I hate how this is so short.<strong>

**I guess it's because the next chapter is a totally separate idea from this one, which was an actual episode, so I wanted to split it. Plus, I haven't updated in a while, so I decided to be mean and just totally leave you with a cliffie. You can kill me later. :)**

**Anyways, 15 chapters of Rainbow Shooter are up, and now, I am going to put up another poll on which story you'd like me to work on the most now. I've been working with one-shots most of the time so I don't know where my inspiration will strike next. I can't guarantee that the story you choose will be my main one, but I will try. :)**

**Choices:  
>-07-Ghost<br>-Air Gear  
>-Bakuman<br>-Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji)  
><strong>**-Bleach  
>-Blue Exorcist (Ao no Exorcist)-Darker than Black<br>-Death Note  
>-Durarara!<br>-Fairy Tail  
>-Fullmetal Alchemist-Haruhi Suzumiya<br>-Hetalia: Axis Powers  
>-InuYasha<br>-Naruto  
>-One Piece<br>-Prince of Tennis  
>-Tokyo Majin<br>-Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle  
>-Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru<br>-Uta no Prince-sama  
>-Vampire Knight<strong>

****I hope you enjoyed! Review, please! :D****


	7. covering for family

**Reckoning  
>Chapter 7<br>covering for family**

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><p>It'd been two days since I saw Skin. He didn't show up again, but that only raised a question in my mind. Why had he come after us? Was it because of me? If it was, I was putting everyone in danger. But then, I told myself that I was also traveling with a General, one that the Earl was after. That was the only reason I stayed. I didn't know if I'd just be putting them in more danger by leaving. I had already confided in Tiedoll about these worries, since he knew my story. He told me to stay with the group. Safety in numbers right?<p>

But ever since I saw Skin, the nightmares I'd been having had only gotten worse.

There was one I remembered vividly, one that I'd been having constantly. It was of war, of death, and of my worst fears taking form as a type of torture. It was filled with my fellow Exorcists. All of them were dead. The images of dead Exorcists filled my brain and all I could see were Allen, Lenalee, Lavi, Kanda, and everyone else lying on the ground, dead. All around me were shadows, shaped like the Millennium Earl and the Noah. But no Noah were trying to harm me. In fact, the Noah were standing and looking down at me, sympathy in their eyes. My hands were all covered in blood and as soon as I saw it, I screamed. The bodies looked like they were slashed wide open, their eyes all still staring at the sky.

And then, I woke up. Each and every time, that's how my dream ended, and I didn't remember what happened to me just before the dream ended and I woke up. I couldn't remember what happened before, but I remember it was always different. I couldn't see what happened to me, but I know that I didn't die. I never died. Maybe I was injured or beaten, but never dead.

But all I knew before I woke up? I was in pain.

The dream I had that very night was no different than the ones that came before. It was just as bloody, just as violent, and just as scarring. I couldn't help but scream this time. It was a scream that pierced the air and rattled the silence that death created in its wake. Nothing would ever allow me to forget those images, no matter how hard I tried to forget. My friends… all of them… dead.

This time, I knew what happened afterwards. I found myself looking up at the face of the very Noah whose appearance triggered all this. Skin looked at me, holding out his hand. "Come with me, Akicho," he said softly, or at least as softly as he could for being… well, Skin, and I simply stared. "Come. Don't you want to know why I'm hunting you?"

I would admit, I did want to know. So I placed my hand in my former brother's and he pulled me up into a standing position, dragging him with me to wherever he wanted me to go. The scenery of the bloody battlefield slowly melted away into a clearing. Kanda was there again, with Marie and the General. This time, they were alive, but sleeping. That's when I knew that I was in the present time, in the clearing we were sleeping in.

Slowly looking at Skin, I asked, "What is it you wanted to tell me?" He shook his head wordlessly and kept a firm grip on my hand. He pulled me along with him into the forest around where we were. I struggled a little; Skin could easily kill me, I knew that, and I didn't want to stray too far from the Exorcists. "Skin, let go!" I demanded harshly. "Just spit it out!"

He stopped without a word and dropped my hand. He was still facing away from me as he spoke, "What I'm about to tell you is something you can't tell the other Exorcists." I hesitated, but agreed. "There is a place in Edo, in Japan, that we're all gathering soon. All the Noah and all the Akuma. You have to go too, or your friends Allen Walker and the other Exorcists will die. You have a month."

I gasped. My vision would come true if I didn't stay with them. They'd all die, slowly and painfully. They'd be cut open and drained of blood, in pain but dying a slow death. "I won't allow them to die," I declared, the worry clearly visible in my eyes. Skin's own eyes widened a little. "They're my friends. I told Tyki already, but… they accepted me when no one else would."

Skin frowned a little. "Not even if I'm hunting them and, to an extent, you, because of the Innocence?" I shook my head again. "The Innocence just makes me mad. I want it destroyed, I want it gone. I won't hesitate to slice them to bits if it means that the Innocence would be just dust in my hands." I growled a little and activated my own Innocence, preparing to fight my own brother if I had to. "… You'd fight me?"

"If it means that I can buy them a little more time, then yes. I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to keep the Black Order safe. I finally found somewhere I belong, and even if it's against my family… I'll do it." Skin frowned once more. "Skin. I know I said that I won't tell the other Exorcists. I'll buy you a little time. Leave all of us alone; I won't tell any of them that you were here… but I will be telling them where you're going."

Turning just a little, I saw that he had a frown on his face. It was feral. "Fine then. I'll see you in Edo." Then he vanished as black mist, disappearing before my eyes and floating away, back to wherever he would go back to.

Trying to fight him now would be like trying to catch smoke.

-YU KANDA-

Akicho had been acting weird since she woke up. She seemed to be in a daze and really off her guard. She even lost in less than two minutes when they were sparring, and it took her at least fifteen to lose from stamina. She was out of it, and even Tiedoll seemed worried about her.

Kanda walked up behind her and snapped, "Hey, you." She jumped about five feet in the air before looking behind her, her eyes slightly glazed over. He sighed, somewhat sick of seeing that dull look on her face. "You're so out of it today. What's up?" demanded the tall Exorcist, advancing on the smaller girl.

She shook her head, the dull look suddenly focused on the floor. "You wouldn't understand." Kanda nearly growled; he probably understood a damn sight better than she would ever know.

"Try me."

Biting her lip, she cautiously replied, "I'm having these… these nightmares again. Only this time, they're not about my family or my memories. They're about the future, or what my mind thinks is the future. They're… they're about you." He looked at her in surprise, his eyes only showing a hint of surprise. "You, and Allen, and Lavi, and Lenalee, and all the Exorcists. You're all… dead. Every single one of you was murdered in some awful way. Some of you were even split open and bleeding. The Noah are always all there and the Millennium Earl is there, too. I never see the ending. And I never know where I am." She paused and shivered, squeezing her eyes shut as if in terrible pain. "But last night, in that same dream, I recognized something. I knew where I was, Kanda, and that's the first time I've ever known. The battle, it was in Edo. You all died in Edo. There was something big going on there, and I didn't see what, but I know that we all have to go there."

He raised his eyebrows. "Edo? You've been there?"

She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head and shook her head negatively. "No, but I remember pictures. Ones that my friend Emiko had in her house. They were of Edo, of her trips there. There was one, hanging over the mantle. It was exactly where the battlefield was. We couldn't do anything about it being where it is, but that's where the final showdown will be."

Kanda nodded. "I get it." He turned to the General and called, "General Tiedoll, we know where we have to go next!" The General looked up, clearly interested in what Kanda had to say. "We have to go to Japan. Edo is where everything is going to take place." Out of the corner of his eye, Kanda noticed Akicho smile softly, before turning away, the glazed over look in her eyes suddenly disappearing.

He narrowed his eyes; was it really just a dream she'd been having? He would swear up and down that he'd seen one of the Noah at the sight of the ruined mansion. Was it that Noah that contacted her and told her where the final battle would be? If not, how did she know? It was then that he decided that he'd get the information he wanted from her. By force or by her own will, it wasn't like he cared. She'd tell him what he needed to know, one way or another. He couldn't just let it go. She knew something that she wasn't supposed to, and for that, he wouldn't let it go.

He sat down and rubbed his eyes. _Damn._ Was she really getting to him?

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

Kanda was suspicious of me. I could tell by the way he looked at me as I walked away. It was like he knew everything. It was like he knew that I was in contact with a Noah, and he knew that all of that information I had, I'd gotten from that very Noah. It didn't matter, though. Either way, we were going to Edo, and that was all that mattered. We had to get there in time, or Allen and every other Exorcist remaining would be dead. I could never allow that to happen.

_But wait,_ a voice in my head told me, _I can't get attached to these people. I'm an Akuma, a demon… I'm already dead, and I shouldn't exist. As soon as this is over, I'm going to leave. I can't give in to the urge to hurt people. It gnaws at me every day… One day soon, I'll end up killing someone, and if I do, I'll be no worse than the very things that Kanda, that the Black Order, has to fight and destroy._

As much as I didn't want to admit it, but that voice was probably right. The thing was that I'd almost lost control the other day, during the trip to the playhouse. If I hadn't snapped out of it, I could have done much worse than I did. I could have killed people. I didn't want to hurt anyone ever again. My lapse in control made the entire house collapse into rubble, and even though Tiedoll told me that it was only my Innocence, I thought otherwise.

When I joined as an Exorcist, I swore that I'd be different than the Akuma that I had to fight. I swore that I'd continue to repress my hunger for blood, as I'd been doing since I was little. I didn't make that promise simply because I had to, but I did it because I wanted to. I wanted to be different. I wanted to be helpful to the good of mankind, not helpful to its destruction.

Maybe I just didn't want a guilty conscience.

"Akicho!" Tiedoll called from across the field. My eyes flew up, and I stood up a little straighter. The General was standing across the field with Marie and Kanda, both looking stoic and ready for battle. "Training time. Let's go!"

I sighed; this could be a longer day than I wanted.

-YU KANDA-

Training definitely didn't go as he'd expected. He'd imagined that Akicho would be eager to try and learn to control her new powers, but she wasn't. In fact, she wasn't even trying at all. During training, she'd seemed distant. Tiedoll must've noticed, but he didn't point it out.

She didn't even attempt to hurt Marie or himself, and he'd landed so many hits on her without even having to try. She had simply taken the hits without complaining, or wincing, or crying. She only managed to stand up, and take more abuse from the more experienced Exorcists.

But when Marie tried to treat her wounds, she pushed him away.

"Don't waste your resources," ordered Akicho. "I'm not hurt that badly."

After that, she spent the entire day alone. She didn't talk to anyone. When she was making dinner, she was silent. During dinner, she simply stared at the sun. Marie kept sending her worried glances, and Kanda did his best to ignore her weird behavior. But after he saw her only poke at her food, he decided that he'd had it with her abnormal behavior.

He approached her, his own dish in hand. "Hey." Akicho looked up to see him.

She smiled weakly. "Hi." She continued to poke at her food before looking up at him. "You're suspicious of me, aren't you?" He blinked, somewhat shocked at her blunt question. She just gave a dry chuckle, looking back down at her plate before quietly confessing, "I can see it in your eyes."

He nodded, even though she wasn't looking at him. "Yeah. You have information that would make any good Exorcist suspicious. But Tiedoll isn't, and I can see why. You haven't shown any signs of being like those Akuma."

The girl scoffed in disbelief before shaking her head. Looking towards him once more, she said, "But I can't say that I'm not. See, thing is, I know that I'm dangerous." Kanda raised one eyebrow, prompting her to go on. "I'm still an Akuma, and I'm not sure that I'll be able to hold back forever." She smiled wryly. "I understand why you're so suspicious of me," continued Akicho. Kanda just rolled his eyes.

"Look, before you say anything else, I am suspicious of you. But I can say that I can see that you're doing the best you can." Her head flew up to stare at him in shock. It was like he'd just given a compliment. But Kanda was being caring in his own Kanda-like way. "You're an Exorcist, and you were chosen by God to be one of us. You were chosen through Innocence."

She looked back down. "What if that was a mistake? What if, because I'm an Akuma, God chose me to make fun of you humans? What if I was chosen as a joke? A cruel joke, because God has given up on humans?" she mused darkly.

Kanda glared down at her. "The Innocence chose you because you have a power that the Innocence needs. You should know that." Her eyes darted upwards towards him, and she simply stared at him.

With a small glimmer in her eye, she said, "Maybe you're right. Maybe I should do something about myself and my power. Find that power, and harness it so I can use it for people, against the Millennium Earl. I have no heart to speak of, and I have no memory of my past life. Or, my life before I became this thing. I hate him. I hate the Earl with a passion that no human should ever have." She laughed a little. "Then it's probably a good thing that I'm not human at all."

"You're human. Just a lot less than the rest of us." Kanda stood discarding both of their meals. Clearly, neither of them were very hungry. "Now quit wallowing in your self-pity. If you're going to be an Exorcist, you can't let something like this shake you."

He held out a hand for her to take. She grabbed it, and as he helped her up, she wrapped her arms around him. Kanda froze, feeling her bury her head in his chest and feeling the tear stains soaking through his shirt.

"Thank you, Kanda," she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear her. She pulled away and gave him a smile before walking back to Tiedoll.

A warm feeling rose in his chest. As much as he tried to fight it, it wormed its way in. It made him want to try comforting her even more. It made him want to tell her that even if she did attack him, he'd try and never hurt her. She was as important to him as Marie, Daisya, Tiedoll, and, to some extent, his old friend, Alma. She was just like him. A dangerous person that could care, and could be cared about, even though they thought otherwise. But time and time again, people showed them that they could care.

"Kanda!" her voice called, breaking through his thoughts. "Come on; They have a fire started!" she continued, waving him over. He smirked a little and followed her back to the clearing, looking behind him once, up to the sky.

_I'm already dead…_

What she said was somewhat surprising to him. She was willing to admit that she was dead, and that she had nothing to lose. _But she did now,_ he thought. _She had being an Exorcist and getting her revenge on the Earl._ He knew that she had anger that she spoke of. He saw it through the way that she destroyed the Akuma. She wanted to make him hurt as she had.

One day soon, she would get her revenge.

* * *

><p><strong>Short, crappy chapter is short and crappy. But also old. I'm too lazy to edit it. Mostly because I have a really important announcement, one that is also in Rainbow Shooter. I'm using Internet that I'm getting from my local library, which has its own generator and available net. There's nothing else in the town and nowhere to go.<strong>

**If you're reading and you weren't caught in the Hurricane, please donate anything you can spare, even a few dollars. I'm trapped in my own town. I can't see my friends, I can't get to school, and the entire town is black. The library is only a couple minutes walk away from my home, so that's why I'm on here. Hurricane Sandy devastated the Tristate area. My town, personally, will be black for at least another two weeks.**

**There's few resources left in the town. All the shops are closed. My dad is having difficulty getting in and out of town to go to work, and even more trouble finding gas to keep our tiny generator running. We weren't swamped, like Sayreville, NJ or Staten Island, but there has been destruction absolutely everywhere that I turn. Please donate, and if you need your parents permission, please ask them to help out as well. Every little bit counts.**


	8. a third chance

**Reckoning  
><strong>**Chapter 8  
><strong>**a third chance**

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><p>"Akicho!" Tiedoll called. He beckoned me over and handed me a coat. "Here. This is the new uniform from the Order. This one is Kanda's, but he's currently washing up. Can you take this to him?"<p>

I nodded, but asked, "Why me?"

The General shrugged sheepishly. "He's less likely to kill you."

Gulping, I took the neatly folded cloth and brought it down to the lake, where Kanda was. "Kanda?" He turned around and I noticed something. There was a tattoo on his chest. I gasped at the marking. It was the symbol that Emiko had carved into her wall, and it meant _The Eternal_ in Hinduism, she told me. "You have a tattoo of 'The Eternal' on your chest… why that?"

He scoffed and grabbed the coat in my hands and snapped, "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

I narrowed my eyes and grabbed his hands, stopping him from pulling the coat over his tattoo. "Stop telling me it's nothing. I'm worried about you. You don't seem to care if you get hurt, and when you do, you always insist on moving forward. Take one step back and tell me what's wrong with you."

As Kanda moved my hands away, he replied, "It's got something to do with my past. I know you wouldn't understand." I pulled back his coat again to move a hand over his tattoo. "You really want to know, don't you?" I nodded, my head lowered. "I'm like you."

My head snapped up sharply. "What? You're…"

He smirked. "I'm not an Akuma. But I am dead."

-YU KANDA-

It was true. He died when he was nine years old, and, thanks to the Second Exorcist program, he was brought back by his Innocence. That tattoo of his was the measure of his life. Nine years before, he was dead, and was reborn with new abilities, like to heal excessively fast. True, it could've been considered a gift, but he considered being born again a curse. If he hadn't been born, then those bastards in the Order wouldn't have tortured him like that. Those procedures tore him apart, and killed him many times.

The only person who he really identified with was Alma Karma, his only "close friend" in the world. Alma was another Second Exorcist who, like Kanda, was brought back as well. He was the one who told Kanda that he'd been seeing an illusion of Fou, a warrior of the Asian branch.

But because of that, the Order decided that Kanda was of no more use, and should be killed, or "terminated" from the program. If only they had the chance to kill him, but that stupid Alma decided to save both of them. If only Alma didn't try to save him, then the CROW wouldn't have caught him.

Kanda only remembered blacking out after the guards caught Alma, but when he woke up, he met Bak Chan and Noise Marie.

Those two wanted to help him, but when the CROW came for him, too, nothing could stop them. He was to be killed for knowing what the Second Exorcist program was really about. That was a failure, since Kanda's memories of this one woman kept him alive. He didn't remember who she was, only that she was probably dead. All he knew was that those memories of her were what allowed him to synchronize with Mugen and summon it. He remembered using it to get himself free from his bindings and running away.

Kanda also remembered finding Marie hurt and healing him using his blood. The last thing he remembered was finding Alma with the help of Marie. But it wasn't Alma, in the truest sense of Alma. The Alma Karma that Kanda knew wouldn't hurt a fly, but the Alma Karma that Kanda found was psychotic. He'd killed all of the staff of the Asian Branch, and all of the CROW members with his own Innocence.

The pain he'd felt when Alma cut his arm off during the fight they had still stung when he though about it. Kanda still regretted slashing Alma, but he knew that if he hadn't, Marie would have died, too.

A hand in front of his face pulled Kanda out of his trance. He realized that he'd told the girl next to him everything that he'd just been thinking about. He knew that by the tears in your eyes. She looked at him with the sympathy he didn't want. But she also looked at him with an understanding that he desperately craved. No one ever understood his past. So why did an Akuma understand?

She looked away and put her feet in the water, kicking them around and splashing water up. She looked down and sighed. "Now I understand you, Kanda." He looked forward as well, his feet dangling in the water. "I get why you don't trust people with your past. No one understands the pain you've gone through, right?" He looked back to her. She had a faraway, dazed look in her eyes. "I can't say that I fully understand what happened to you, but I do know what it feels like to have a friend you trust betray you."

He hesitated, wondering to himself if he really wanted to know. Eventually, he just asked, "What happened to you?"

She looked at him, a small, sad smile written on her lips. "I was living with the only person who really understood me. Her name was Emiko, and she was making her living as a nurse." The wind blew some of her hair in her face, but she pushed it back in an attempt to tame it. "It turns out that she's was an Akuma from the beginning. When Allen found me in that village, she attacked me. If it wasn't for Allen destroying her, I would be dead."

The wind blew Kanda's hair, too. His long hair was down, and some of it blew into his face, hiding his eyes. So she really did understand what it was like to be betrayed. She had a past like his. They were both badly mistreated, but found a friend in someone, only to be betrayed by that friend. They were both misjudged due to already being dead, and they were both brought back to a world they hated with a burning passion. She was more like him than Kanda originally thought. They were like a mirror of each other.

She had to endure so much over the years, that Kanda knew that she had a will of steel. His motivation to keep going was his revenge, but for her… he felt no hatred of people or Akuma from the girl. Akicho was only saddened and tortured, with no hate driving her to destroy and kill. She could only be angered if they decided to hurt someone, but she could never hate. She wasn't like Kanda in that sense. She was different because she didn't let her negative emotions take control of her life. She didn't feel a need for revenge.

That confused Kanda.

"Why can't you hate that person for betraying you?" Kanda asked lowly, his eyes still hidden.

Akicho laughed dryly and looked down again. "I can't hate her because she was like me. On the way to the Black Order, Allen told me that when he had destroyed Emiko, the soul inside had told him that it was sorry for hurting me, and that it was thankful to be freed. If it was in control of its own emotions, I don't think it would have hurt me. The things that are already dead don't have control unless they can overpower their dark side. There are very few Akuma that can take control of their bloodlust and use it to fight without having to kill." She was smiling humorlessly.

All Kanda could do was scoff. "I hate Alma for betraying me. He was always annoying and trying to stay by my side, but then… he just left me. For that, I won't forgive him."

Silently, the brunette turned to him and slowly, almost hesitantly, lifted her arms to wrap them around him. He could barely hear her mutter into his skin, "You don't hate Alma for betraying you, or for being annoying. You hate him for leaving you alone, don't you?" He looked up sharply. "You do… Do you hate me for being an Akuma? I'm betraying you by being what I am."

Kanda looked back down at her. "No. The Innocence chose you."

"The Innocence chose Alma, too. Yet you still feel like he betrayed you," she replied softly. "Why?"

He sighed. "He attacked both Marie and me, and almost killed Marie. I won't forgive him for attacking."

She pulled away from the hug and looked down. "I could attack you at any minute, too, Kanda," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.

It was then that he realized what Akicho was so scared of.

He looked up, away from her, and snapped, "You're an idiot." She looked up at him with wide eyes. "You're strong enough to hold back your bloodlust. And if you don't, know that all of us will do our best to get you back to normal… and if we can't, we'll destroy you." He meant every word he said, and even though he tried to make it sound like he was angry, he wasn't. He was worried that she believed she was a monster.

She smiled slightly, her lips twitching up on her pale face. The now smiling girl nodded. "I'll accept that."

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

So Kanda would destroy me if I went crazy. I took comfort in that, and even though I didn't feel anything happening to me yet, I knew it was only a matter of time. I knew I was an Akuma, and I knew I was dangerous. But lately, I hadn't been feeling the need to take a human's Innocence from them. Perhaps it was all the destruction of Akuma I'd been witnessing lately. I had more blood than usual.

I sighed. I didn't know what I should do now. Did Kanda tell Marie and Tiedoll about his past? Maybe… I knew Marie was part of his past, but I didn't know if he had told Marie all of it. Did he even tell Tiedoll any of it, or was Tiedoll one of the reasons why he was like he was?

I looked around the small town we were in. It was looking like we were so close to Japan. All that was left was to cross the ocean from where we were. It'd taken weeks, I don't know how many, as I'd lost count, but we were finally in South Korea. We were currently residing in a town called Seoul, the capital of South Korea. I had to admit that, as beautiful and nice as Seoul was, I was really anxious to get to Edo. We were almost there.

As we were getting closer, I noticed something. The Akuma swarms were getting bigger and bigger. True, that gave us more training, but it also slowed us down. We were delayed about a day and a half behind when Skin told me to be there. It'd been almost three and a half weeks now, and four weeks was our deadline. From South Korea, if we don't hit any interruptions, it would take around… four, maybe five, days to get from her to Japan, and I know we're going to meet obstacles, so it'll take a longer time now.

I sighed. Marie and Tiedoll were off getting us a boat. I wasn't too sure of their methods, though. We decided to get a boat that only fitted all four of us, since Akuma were bound to spot a bigger boat more easily. I also hoped that Marie would get one of his boats like the one he got to bring us to Barcelona. So I was stuck with Kanda, buying food for the trip.

Picking up a few apples and examining them closely, I asked, "Kanda, should we bring a few of these?" He grunted in approval. "Okay, I'll take a few of these," I told the owner of the stand, handing him a bit of money. "Thanks very much." I slipped the fruits into my bag and rushed to catch up with Kanda. "I think that's it, and it's been about an hour, so I think we should get to the dock. Marie and General Tiedoll should have a boat ready for us about now."

Marie's boat looked a lot like the speed demon he got for us in Spain. Hopefully it was just as fast. He and Tiedoll were already ready for us to leave. "Get in!" he called, starting up the boat. Kanda made a huge jump and successfully made it, while I climbed in just as it was leaving. "Okay, to Edo!" I laughed and agreed, collapsing into one of the seats on the boat. Kanda sat next to me, holding Mugen to his chest and Tiedoll sat across from me.

As I pulled open my bag, I pulled out a few of the red fruits I bought. "Anyone hungry?" I asked, tossing one to Tiedoll. Kanda looked away, but I grabbed his hand and put one in it. "You have to keep up your strength. So eat the damn thing, and don't you dare complain." He sent a deadly glare at me, but took it and rolled it around in his hands. "Marie?"

He shook his head. "No. I already ate a little while ago. I have to focus on getting us all to Japan." At his words, a large group of level one and level two Akuma arose from the sea.

Kanda fiercely drew Mugen. I ran to stop him and raised both my hands. "Keep the boat going, Marie!" I yelled, putting the base of my palms together. A huge vortex of fire, much like the one in the clearing, sprouted from my hands and engulfed all of the Akuma. All of them in the vortex blew up as we continued to go forward. "Now let's go."

I sat back down and dug into the apple. "I've noticed something in the time you've been with us," Tiedoll pointed out. "You don't have as big an appetite as most of the Parasite-type accommodators."

Scoffing, Kanda added, "Yeah, the bean sprout eats about ten times what you do. You eat like a normal person, sometimes even less."

I thought for a moment, trying to come up with a good, viable solution that would make sense, for even me. "Well, I guess it's because of my blood," I replied. "Yeah, that's it! I mean, my blood is what fuels my Innocence, not my own energy, so I don't really need to eat as much as normal Parasite-types. The more Akuma I destroy, the more powerful I become, due to the fact that the more life I take, the more blood I gain. Every Akuma is like that." I looked down at my half-eaten apple. "I used to think that I had to kill humans to gain more blood, but it's starting to happen whenever I destroy Akuma nowadays."

Tiedoll nodded, smiling. "So you have to continue to destroy Akuma to survive," he suggested. It made sense when he said it. "Much like Akuma have to kill humans to survive, am I right?"

I bit my lip, but nodded. "Well, at least continue to move, as a weapon. I'm just hoping that human deaths don't play a part in my strength."

Days passed much like that. Kanda, Tiedoll, and me destroying the Akuma that got in our way. We even faced a level three. Kanda managed to beat it by combining his First Illusion: Underworld Creatures and my Ice-winged Butterflies. Why butterflies, I wondered. Maybe it was because of _him_.

It'd been four days since we left South Korea, and we'd had very few interruptions. Maybe a few swarms of Akuma every day, but not so many as they slowed us down too much. Damn stupid level three is what made us lose a few hours. Not too much, but it was enough. We landed on the shore of Japan, really close to Edo, and I could see the Akuma flying over us, trying to get somewhere. I narrowed my eyes and called to the others, "Something's happening! We've got to get to Edo, and fast!" I looked around for something I could use to get us there quicker.

However, something in the back of my mind completely overtook me. Kanda took one look at me. His eyes widened as his eyes pierced mine as I started to feel a trickle of pain in my head. It was giving me a bad headache. "There's a pentacle on your head," he said softly.

I gasped and held my head as the Earl's voice rang through my mind, telling me a message that only the Akuma and the Noah could hear. "He's telling all of the Akuma to go to Edo… The message is longer than anything I've ever heard." I groaned in pain and gasped as I grasped what he was ordering. "The others are there already! We've got to go… now, or it's all over…"

Then I spotted all of the trees, making a crazy, but possible, idea pop into my mind. Smirking, I used my Innocence to create a slim piece of bark, light enough for all of us to float on, but thick enough to hold the combined weights of all of us. "What the hell are you doing?" Kanda demanded, coming over and looking at what I was doing. I had finished making the system, sturdy enough to keep all of us up, but light enough to float. I sent him a smirk, and gestured to the wood.

"Get on."

Everyone climbed on the bark, and I used every bit of power I had left within me to push it up and push us forward, fast. Marie and Tiedoll had to hold on tightly while Kanda and I were simply sitting on the bark. The tower of Edo was growing closer and closer as we pushed forward through the air.

Kanda noticed, too, and yelled, "We're almost there!"

Edo was on the horizon. We were almost there. A giant… _thing_ was there, too. "Is that an Akuma?!" I cried out in horror. "Oh, God, it is!" It was going on an angry rampage, and I was sure that the town was being completely destroyed. "Hang on tight; I'm going faster!" I sped up the wind and we were going even faster than before.

I wouldn't allow anything more to happen. This battle, maybe even this war, was going to end in Edo, just like Skin told me it would. And even if I died, once again, I'd know it was for my friends.

We arrived up on top of a cliff and everyone got off of our transport. We looked down over Edo, the cherry blossoms flying in the wind in the background, providing a nice back to our smooth entrance.

Kanda smirked. "This is going to be a tough opponent. Finally."

* * *

><p><strong>-shot for failure-<strong>

**But here we go. Um. Not much to say, very little to explain. Shitty chapter is shitty. I'm sick. Blah blah blah. I'm also really bored. I want to start my oneshotsssss... but I have to finish stuff first. Um... yeah. So I'm almost done writing this story, Reckoning... and yeah. So I'm almost done with a lot of my fics. Uh. So um..**

**Yeah.**

**Review please.**


	9. keep on walking

**Reckoning  
><strong>**Chapter 9  
><strong>**keep on walking**

* * *

><p>The Akuma was huge. It had to be a combination of hundreds of them.<p>

"Kanda… it's dangerous." Marie pointed out that he could hear the heartbeats of the Cross Unit. We all rushed off to help them as the one on the ground stood again. As we got closer and closer, I could see Bookman, Lavi, and another Exorcist that Allen had told me was Arystar Krory III, fighting the giant Akuma. I could see Lavi fighting one more person… Tyki. So that's what he meant by "later…" I gritted my teeth and rushed over to help the Junior Bookman.

Lavi was getting beaten badly. I could see that in the way he was moving, almost like he was in pain. Tyki was watching him from another building. Everyone else looked bandaged heavily. The ship they'd come on must've taken some heavy damage. I looked all over; all the battles were going badly for the Exorcists. Krory, Bookman, and Lavi had all taken heavy damage, but they were all still getting back up and fighting their enemy, even when Lavi was slammed through a building, landing with Bookman and Krory.

We arrived quicker than I expected. Tyki was going towards the pillar of light that was shrinking. He grabbed Lenalee by the throat, and another Exorcist, Miranda, I assumed, collapsed, breathing heavily. Lavi was flying through the air on his big hammer. One of the men with them foolishly tried to punch Tyki… only to be attacked by the Tease.

That's when I noticed Kanda was missing from our group, and I saw the blade of Mugen rising through the building. As soon as it was going to hit him, Tyki jumped, Lenalee still in tow. Kanda landed in front of the man and growled, glaring at the Noah.

"Kanda!" I cried, landing next to him. "Marie's going to try and help the others." I looked up to see Tyki's surprised face, and frowned sadly. "Tyki… why? Why are you attacking us? All we want is to find that stupid General Cross and go!" I yelled at him, my eyes threatening to shed tears. "You're hurting the innocent and the injured. I thought you were better than that."

He shrugged. "Sorry. Orders, you know?" I glared at him. "Hm. Well, this isn't going to be fun if you can't even land a hit on me. I'll put the girl down…" he dropped Lenalee unceremoniously, "… and we'll have a real fight!" Tyki looked almost happy at the prospect of fighting me.

I was about to accept when Mugen was in my way. "Don't. Go help Marie," Kanda whispered to me. I was about to protest, but he snapped, "Look, you're still a rookie with your Innocence. I'm at a higher level, and I have more of a chance than you will. Just go, okay?"

My eyes narrowed at him, but I nodded, nonetheless. "You're an idiot… but you'd better be alive when I come back, okay?" He nodded, a solemn, silent promise. "I'll see you later." Jumping away, I witnessed Kanda leaping at Tyki, who blocked with only one hand.

-YU KANDA-

Kanda aimed a bunch of furious slashes at the Noah that Akicho referred to as "Tyki" only to have him dodge and block. He was slammed back into a wall while the Noah simply watched. He looked over to make sure that everyone else was doing okay and saw Akicho and Marie standing next to each other while Bookman and the vampire were running around.

He saw Akicho calmly watch as Marie wrapped his strings around the Akuma and Akicho sent her ice along the lines, successfully freezing the Akuma in its place. She smirked with satisfaction and then sent a look towards Kanda, clearly telling him to go back to his own battle. Kanda nodded and slashed the butterflies that the Noah sent at him.

Kanda fled back up on top of a building, the Noah following after. He proceeded to activate his Innocence and slash at the butterflies as the covered him. Smirking, he activated First Illusion: Underworld Creatures, defeating the bugs and running at Tyki. Just as the Noah sent his finishing blow, Lavi came down and deflected it.

The stupid rabbit seemed really beaten up. But the other Akuma didn't stop. Since the Akuma Marie captured was frozen, courtesy of Akicho, and Marie was clearly using Noel Organon to poison the Akuma.

Mugen was activated again, this time using Twin Illusion Blades. He jumped up above the other Akuma and slashed it in half, much to the surprise of Lavi.

"Kanda!" he heard. Looking up, he saw Akicho jumping down from the body of the Akuma, where she was checking to see if it was dead. "You're okay! Not that I doubted you, but hey, I had a right to be worried, since you faced Tyki and all."

The Japanese Exorcist looked away and asked, "What about you?"

She smiled happily. "No bodily harm was done to me! They weren't so tough."

-LAVI-

Lavi stared at their interaction with wonder, but looked away when he noticed both Yu and Akicho staring at the huge building in the center. The Millennium Earl was there and there was a huge black orb getting bigger, almost to the point of taking over the whole town. Lavi looked down at Lenalee, who he had retrieved from harms way. She was still asleep, and oblivious to the danger.

The red-headed Exorcist squeezed his eyes shut and listened to the sounds of the buildings collapsing. He jumped down and saw Akicho hanging onto the back of Yu's cloak while Yu stabbed Mugen into the ground.

Lenalee's eyes opened as she began to float away. "Lavi!" she called, snapping him back to reality. She was reaching for him as she was flying away. He grabbed her hand with a grunt, trying to stay on the ground. He held on with everything he had and he pulled her closer to him, but another wave of explosions tore them apart and pulled them backwards.

"Lenalee!" he shouted, almost desperately.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

To the outside world, it must've looked like we'd vanished. Everything was gone. We were nowhere. I was holding onto Kanda with everything I had as he growled, "You bastard… it's not that easy to kill me." I gripped him tighter as I shook with fear. "Why're you hanging onto me?"

I was shivering because I was sure that something had happened to the others. Krory, Miranda, Lavi, Lenalee, and Bookman. Something bad happened. I could tell that some of them were close to death.

Clutching Kanda's sleeve, I whimpered, "They're dying… all of them! I was too late this time…" I noticed a huge crystal. "Lenalee…"

I helped Kanda up and stumbled towards the glowing green crystal. Someone was calling out to us from it. "Hey," Kanda called to a dazed Lavi. "What is that thing?" he asked, gesturing towards the crystal. "What's the matter?"

"Lavi…" someone called. It was Lenalee. "Kanda… Akicho…" Lenalee was inside that crystal. It was her Innocence, I was sure of it. "Guys."

Kanda gasped out, "That thing is-"

Nodding, Lavi finished, "Lenalee." So she was inside that crystal. That had to have happened before for Lavi to react in such a way. Lenalee's Innocence was special. It was impossible for an Equipment-type Innocence to protect its accommodator of its own free will. It just… didn't happen.

The Akuma that Marie and I failed to destroy sent beams at Lavi, Kanda, and me, and we were surrounding the crystal. When the smoke cleared, Kanda was raising Mugen against Tyki while Lavi's hammer had grown to an incredible size. "Hm. Sorry to disappoint you," the long-haired Exorcist mocked the Noah. I was confident that Kanda could handle Tyki, so I turned to the crystal and tried to form a barrier of fire and rock to protect Lenalee.

Tyki didn't seem bothered by Kanda's mocking tone. "Not bad. But, the girls… are coming with me." Kanda growled again, rushing after Tyki and attacking him with everything he had. "Your sword can't touch me! I wish I could stick around, but this… situation calls for me to leave. I want to see it as soon as possible… the annihilation of his world!" The Exorcist's eyes widened as he said that. I stopped what I was doing to look back at the two battling. "You may just disappear." He laughed. "I like your eyes. They're going to watch your death!"

I couldn't look. "Mugen: Twin Illusion Blades." Both Tyki and Kanda jumped back a few meters from each other and continued to leap at each other with equal ferocity.

A large figure appeared behind me. Skin Bolic had joined the fight. "Do you like…" Lavi saw him as well, "… sweet things?" Skin aimed his fist at Lavi, but he only managed to hit the pole. Lavi was above him, and jumped down to kick the large Noah in the face. He landed on the ground after dodging a hit.

"Grow… grow… grow!" He used his hammer and slammed Skin to the left, but in mid-attack, Skin grabbed the hammer and used it against Lavi. I heard Lenalee screaming for Lavi and pounding on the crystal as Skin picked him up by his head, dropping his hammer. He screamed in pain and I winced, but continued to make the barrier.

Skin growled at Lavi, "For you to land an attack on me after taking all that damage… We finally found _it_ and now you've got to go and ruin my good mood! Unforgivable! I won't forgive you Exorcists!" He squeezed Lavi's skull harder and dropped the Exorcist with him still holding onto his hammer.

Marie jumped down and restrained Skin from using his fists again with Noel Organon. Lavi activated his Innocence and used his Fire Stamp. Lenalee called out again and I whispered, "Lenalee… keep quiet. I can't allow you to be taken by the Noah."

I looked back as the Akuma got closer to us. It was about to use its attack when General Tiedoll appeared. "Maker of Eden, activate." A huge monster, which Tiedoll called "Art," tackled the Akuma down. While Lavi and Marie were distracted, Skin knocked Marie down. Kanda and Tyki, however, weren't stopping for anything. Tiedoll's Innocence began to rip the Akuma limb from limb as Lenalee kept yelling to be let out.

A hand knocked me back and onto the ground. The Millennium Earl had arrived and he was going to attack the crystal. "Lenalee!" I yelled, knowing what he was going to do to her. Kanda tried to stop him, but Tyki got to him again. Someone jumped down and appeared to break through the crystal. He was dressed in all white as the sky seemed to split. He faced the Millennium Earl.

"It seems we meet again, Allen Walker!" Allen smirked and greeted the Earl in the calmest of ways. He was back, and his Innocence had evolved, too.

I smiled happily, sitting up with a little bit of a struggle. "Allen! You're okay." He looked over to me. He was gripping Lenalee and flashed me a smile. Such an Allen move. "Beat him, Allen."

The Earl chuckled maliciously. "Stupid girl." He reached over and, using his power, knocked me out of the circle around the crystal.

"Allen!" I cried, reaching for the young Exorcist.

-YU KANDA-

Akicho landed near him, and Kanda, forgetting his battle with Tyki, helped her up. "You okay?" he asked quietly. He saw that she was unconscious and breathing heavily. "… Hey. Get up." She moaned a little and he pulled his hand away, noticing that she was bleeding quite a bit. "Damn," Kanda cursed, hoisting her up.

He noticed that Tyki was watching them with interest. "Is she alright?" the Noah asked, somewhat mockingly. Kanda could hear the worry in his voice, however much he tried to hide it. "Exorcist? Is Aki- Is the girl alright?" he demanded more violently this time.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I could hear the voices around me. Tyki, Kanda, Lavi, Skin, Marie, and all of them, but not… "Lena… lee?" I asked weakly. "Allen?" I sat up straight and looked around at all the smoke. Lavi was walking into the smoke. Tyki smirked and walked into the smoke along with Skin. "Where are they?" Kanda raised his sword and dashed right through the smoke.

He swung Mugen and yelled, "Hold it, you son of a bitch!" He was going after Tyki. "Bean sprout?" I heard him ask. He clearly found Allen.

"My name's Allen." Yep, that confirmed it.

"What are you doing here?"

"Same to you."

"I was after the Noah with the curly hair." He lowered his sword as I stumbled forward. "Hey, Lavi, where'd he go?" The smoke was clearing. Skin and Tyki, as well as the Earl, were gone, vanished. I barely heard Kanda and Allen fighting as I looked over Lenalee's body. She was covered in bandages and wounds. I grimaced.

Marie came forward. "She's properly bandaged, so it shouldn't be a problem. But… her wounds look bad. She won't be able to fight." I nodded.

Lavi suddenly stood. "Come on, you two! It's supposed to be a happy reunion! Stop fighting!" Marie agreed with the red-haired Exorcist, but the two fighting Exorcists simply sent a pair of death glares at the other two.

"Shut the hell up or I'll cut all your hair off!" They both stared shocked at the two bickering. They continued to argue and I sighed. Reaching over, I slapped both of them on the back of their heads. "Ow! What the hell was that for?" they both demanded, glaring at me angrily.

I sent my own nasty death glare at the two. "Hey, you guys have got to start getting along! We're in enemy territory here, and we've got to keep it together!" I shouted at them.

Almost an hour later, we were all sitting and keeping watch. I was sitting next to Kanda, wrapping bandages around his wrists. "I said I was fine, didn't I?" I heard him ask. I sighed and proceeded to tie the cloth strips much tighter. "Ow! What the hell, woman?" he demanded.

Glaring up at him, I snapped, "You're hurt. Now, shut up and let me help you." He was silent after that. "Sorry. I'm just worried. Now that we're all together, we're an easier target than we used to be. A large group is easier to find than anything else… so we've got to be careful." I tied the ends of the bandage in a knot and smiled up at Kanda. "You know, you were really brave in that battle against Tyki. I'd never be able to stand up to him like that, you know?"

He scoffed. "It wasn't bravery. It was instinct. You have it, too. You know, the way you chose to protect Lenalee instead of yourself. You thought she was important and she was defenseless at that point. You used your power to build a protection against the Noah." I smiled a bit at that. "Hey. We'll win."

Those two words allowed me to sigh once again. "I know." Opening my bag to put the roll of bandages back into the space, I pulled out an apple. "Here. It's the last one. You've done the most fighting. I already gave everyone else something, so…" I pulled at his hand and put the fruit in it.

He stared at it for a bit and then pulled at it, successfully splitting it in two. "You haven't eaten. Here." He handed me a half of the apple and I looked up at him. "You… you earned it," he said almost hesitantly.

-YU KANDA-

She did. She was stronger than she thought. He felt a weight against his shoulder and looked down to see Akicho nibbling on the apple half. "Thank you, Kanda," she whispered. His gaze on her softened. The two Exorcists sat in silence, finishing the last of the food that they had. Kanda was looking out into the distance while Akicho was staring at the ground. It was as peaceful as it could get after an attack. "Hey, Kanda?" he heard her ask.

He looked down at her. "Hm."

She put the last bite of her apple in her mouth and chewed as she reached back to the back of her neck and removed a golden chain. "Here. I want you to take this." On the golden chain was a small teardrop made out of sapphire. "This was my mother's, and she gave it to my sister, who was wearing it when she… um, died…"

Moving to sit behind Kanda, Akicho hooked the necklace around his neck. "Why?"

The question was only one word, but the girl behind him seemed to understand, as she dropped her hands to her sides and replied, "It's brought me good luck whenever I wore it. Now I want to pass it onto you." He touched the sapphire and it seemed to glow. "Do it as a favor to me." As if noticing his long hair in the way for the first time, she asked, "Do you want me to tie your hair up?" She got a grunt in reply.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I ran my fingers gently through Kanda's hair before tying it up once again with an extra string I kept in my bag. The sapphire necklace was hidden from view, but both he and I knew he was wearing it. That was what mattered. Despite what he said, I knew we were friends. He showed he cared in his own weird way, on more than one occasion. I did the same.

We had a bond that I didn't have with anyone, even my family. I could tell Kanda anything, and I knew that. He could trust me with his past. I watched him as he walked away to speak with Krory. He seemed skeptical of going so soon, but I put a hand on his shoulder and gestured around. Everyone else seemed to be ready and willing to go, even Lenalee, who was struggling to stand.

We were all going to go find Cross and win this war against the Noah. As Allen extended her hand to Lenalee, a pentacle opened underneath her and a familiar looking, pumpkin-headed, pink umbrella popped up from the star. "Found you!" Lero exclaimed happily. Lenalee began to fall, and I quickly gasped and rushed to grab her hand, diving in after her. The last thing I saw before I fell was Kanda and Allen's shocked faces, along with everyone else.

As Lenalee and I fell, I was gripping her hand with everything I had, hoping that we'd end up wherever we fell to together. But there was something trying to pull us both apart and I knew I was bound to fall somewhere much different than her.

-YU KANDA-

Damn it! Kanda cursed inwardly as he watched the two females in his life fall through a star-shaped portal on the ground. Akicho had locked eyes with him before she fell through and she seemed to send him this small, apologetic smile that he knew to say, _"We'll meet each other again."_

He wouldn't let her go that easily. She was easy to talk to. So when the bean sprout, the stupid rabbit, and the nameless sailor dove in after them, he had to do, too. The vampire had the same idea, it seemed. A bright flash of pink and then darkness.

_I'm coming._

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><p><strong>Fail chapter, super sorry. I honestly wanted to update because of a few reasons.<strong>

**1) I'm going back to school tomorrow, so updates will become less frequent.**

**2) I changed my username! From "Akira the Wolf Girl" to "xWishfulThinking". Sorry for any confusion!**

**3) I put a poll up for my next work! I've gotten into a bunch of new anime over the break! So I started a bunch of fics about them. Votes are welcome!**

**Thanks for reading, review please!**


	10. familiarity

**Reckoning  
><strong>**Chapter 10  
><strong>**familiarity**

* * *

><p>-YU KANDA-<p>

They all landed together in that unfamiliar world, alongside Lenalee. She was still shivering while Allen comforted her, blabbering about how Akicho had given her a smile, and let go. She said that she'd tried to hold on to the other girl's hand, but Akicho had been the one to let go.

Kanda growled a little, his hands curling into fists. She couldn't stay out of trouble for one second. It was why he had to stay at her side, or she'd be dead. But Kanda couldn't help but look around, slightly worried for her safety.

_This Ark is huge. Just where did she land?_

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I woke up in a town of white buildings. I knew where I was. I was in the Ark. Staggering to my feet, I looked around with a frown. I was alone. Lenalee must've landed somewhere on this floor, too. I had to find her, quick.

But then I remembered. While I was falling, I had seen someone else flying towards us.

In fact, it was more than one someone… It was Kanda, Allen, Chaoji, Lavi, and Krory… those idiots. Why did they follow us?

Suddenly, the floor shook and the buildings started to blow apart, and a weird blue glow started to appear in the sky. I knew that this place was going to fall apart in no time at all. It was just a matter of time. I just needed to know how much time I had before the whole place basically disappeared to nothing.

So I wandered around. I knew that the Ark had an exit. If I could find that door and find my friends within that time limit, I knew that I could all get out okay. I heard a few large explosions in the distance, and, looking hopeful, I dashed towards them.

It had to be those idiots that decided to blow up things for fun. Allen, Lavi, and Kanda… oh, and Krory and Chaoji. Of course, and Lenalee was probably with them. I knew that they had to be there, on that floor, but I had to wonder if any others had come, too.

I got to the sight of the explosions and found no one. Absolutely no one.

Frowning, I ran in another direction. If I guessed right, there was still something I could do. But I needed help in order to do what I was planning on doing.

-YU KANDA-

That damn Noah… Kanda's plan was to slice him in two the next time they met.

The first thing he did was give them a key, which Kanda was sure was a trap, and taunt the bean sprout, and the second thing he did was ask where Akicho was. That stupid Noah acted as if he was the only one who was worried about that stupid girl…

No, Kanda was _not_ worried about her. It was just that Lenalee was freaking out when she had to tell everyone else that Akicho wasn't there with them, and she'd fallen somewhere else on the floor. But no, Kanda wasn't worried. He knew that she could handle herself.

… Okay, so maybe he was kind of worried. Just a little! Don't say a word. … Don't laugh, either.

Tyki Mikk, Akicho had said the Noah's name was. A door popped out of the ground, and Tyki had revealed it to be "Road's door." Road… Allen had the most reaction to her name. He also had the most reaction to the damn Noah.

Of course, then there was the falling building… It should've crushed that damn Noah, but he was alive and well. As proven by the key that came flying out of the rubble at Kanda, who caught it.

Kanda looked around and hoped that he'd find Akicho. But the only choice they had was to go through the door.

He looked around frantically, which was everyone else's calm, as they ran towards the door and through it, but it was to no avail.

She… she couldn't be dead. She wouldn't die that easily. Allen and Lenalee seemed to be looking around for her. Allen proposed a vote soon after, realizing that the Noah was right and the entire Ark was falling apart. In the results of the vote they had all decided to stay and look. Except for Kanda, that is.

He had to keep his hard ass exterior, didn't he?

"She can take care of herself," he told them sternly, not giving way for his worry at all. "Let's just go. She's not a baby." Allen and Lavi soon agreed, then Krory and Chaoji followed. Lenalee was the only one dead set against leaving her behind.

The bean sprout used the key to unlock the door, but they weren't out of the Ark yet. In fact, they were in the room of the very Noah that had been following him and the rest of the Tiedoll unit.

Glaring at the Noah, Kanda put his hand on Mugen and grinned wickedly. "Leave. I'm not doing this for you so don't get me wrong. He's after General Tiedoll, and that means it's my job to kill him." His sword was drawn and activated his Innocence as the Noah, Skin Bolic, stood on top of one of the rocks in front of him.

Skin simply looked around. "Where is she? I though Akicho was with you guys. She was supposed to come here, too." His look became angry, almost feral. "Did you lose her?!" he demanded angrily, glaring at the Exorcists, all of whom were shocked by the fact that Skin knew Akicho's name.

Finally, Kanda piped up, "She stayed behind. We couldn't afford to waste any time looking for her." His glare increased at the Noah's angry look.

The Noah growled at him. "Damn you."

The Exorcist scoffed, his grip on Mugen tightening. "Why would you care? She's just another Akuma, especially to you bastards." He noticed Skin's fists tighten and his glare become more dangerous. "It's not as if she's anyone important, especially not to you bastards."

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I knew my way around this place. It was how I transported myself for my missions all those years ago. But it's kind of like riding a bike. Once you've done so, you don't forget how to move around inside it. I didn't need any help from the Noah or the Exorcists. Not on this level, at least. Maybe I would when I entered the next room, but not so much here.

Looking around, I finally found what I was looking for. It was a door. A simple door, yes, but it was different. Every other door needed a key to turn into a portal to the next level, but this door was special. The only way you could tell if it was the right door was by the marking on the doorknob. All of the others were unmarked, but this one had a single pentacle on the front. Smiling in satisfaction, I pushed open the door to face the swirling black and purple portal.

It was a trade secret, one that I was _very_ glad still existed. See, most Akuma weren't smart enough to get up to the Millennium Earl's chambers or the Noah's rooms by themselves. So, the Noah created a shortcut for the Akuma to report back.

All I needed to know was the stairs that lead to the next level. I knew where I had to go, who I had to find; Lulu Bell. She was like my older sister, always willing to help me. I just had to pray that it didn't change one bit.

-YU KANDA-

This Noah was psychotic. It was almost to the point of somewhat humorous. His gaze moved from one Exorcist to the other, before finally settling on Kanda. He seemed to challenge Kanda, who accepted it quite fast by holding Mugen even tighter, if that was possible, and advising everyone else to leave.

"You guys get moving. I'll handle this joker."

Everyone else almost immediately protested, but were soon silenced by the earthquake that shook the room they were in. The Exorcists were only feeling the aftershocks of the real earthquakes.

They only had a hundred and ten minutes to leave.

The bean sprout volunteered to say behind, too. "While Kanda and I are fighting, go through the exit to the next room. When we're done here, we'll catch up to you," he then said. Kanda listened to them bicker over who'd be fighting and finally snapped.

"I'll be damned if I'm stuck here with you," Kanda growled. As much as he would've appreciated the help, not that he'd admit it, he would not work with the bean sprout. "I said that I'd handle it." He moved his sword to point in the bean sprout's face and ran it across some of his white hair. "Get out of my sight, or would you rather me slice you in half?" When no one made a move to leave, he activated Mugen's abilities in order to scare the shit out of all of them. "First Illusion: Underworld Creatures!" The insects floated after his comrades and Kanda sighed.

The stupid rabbit finally burst out, "I don't care! Let's just leave his ass here!" Everyone else agreed and stormed off angrily, still upset that they were attacked by their own teammate.

Lenalee made him promise to follow them before he turned back to Skin. Time to start fighting.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I wasn't lost.

Stop looking skeptical! I was _not_ lost!

Alright, fine. As much as it pains me to admit it, I was sure that Lulu's room was on the left, but when I checked, all of them were empty, and none of them looked like Lulu's room.

Fine, I was lost.

I groaned. "God damn it, Lulu! Why the hell did you move your room?!" I yelled.

-YU KANDA-

Skin turned into this beast-lion hybrid, with golden skin and all. "Twin Illusion Blades!" Kanda yelled, activating Mugen's second illusion. He watched as the Noah shot several bolts of purple lightning at him, dodging them all but one as he got closer. He deflected the last one, activating Eight Flowers Praying Mantis. Stupid Noah dodged all of 'em.

It'd been around ten minutes in of fighting, and neither one of them had taken a hit. All that Kanda had done was get rid of a few of Skin's yellow spikes. He smirked, but it soon fell of his face when he realized that Skin had also gotten a hit in. He'd been hit in his right arm.

Growling, Kanda and Skin both rushed at each other, using their special attacks as they went. They were both fighting hard, as Kanda got a hit in to Skin. But his blade sparkled with purple lightning again. Kanda now realized who he was fighting against. He wasn't just fighting the mastermind of those Akuma battles. He was fighting a real warrior that had strength and power.

But he wasn't as smart as Kanda would have hoped. In fact, the only reason he didn't fight Kanda, Marie, and Tiedoll was because he couldn't decide which one he wanted to face first.

_He… he is stupid._

All Skin wanted was to do was fight Kanda one-on-one, without having to worry about choosing who he'd fight next. He was laughing hysterically, as if he'd just told a very funny joke. More lightning shot at Kanda, who deflected it again.

Smirking, he replied, "You're wrong. This place will be your grave." He smirked at the Noah and moved his swords into an attacking position. "That's after I beat the shit out of you."

Skin simply laughed. "You're only using your anger! That's so typical! I am Skin Bolic of the Noah Clan. Your name… is…" he trailed off, waiting for the Exorcist to state his name. Said Exorcist just glared, not even twitching.

"Kanda."

After replying to the Noah, Kanda watched as the purple lightning struck all around the room. The Noah was much more powerful than Kanda had anticipated. Maybe it would take a little longer than he had originally thought.

Suddenly, Skin looked up to the Exorcist, asking, "Kanda?" Said Exorcist looked up as well with one eyebrow raised. "Do you like sweets?"

So the Noah had a sweet tooth. Not too surprising, considering his size. But Kanda's answer… well…

He simply smirked dangerously, narrowing his eyes at his new opponent. His grip on Mugen tightened again as his grin grew practically feral. "Can't stand them."

* * *

><p><strong>Hahaha, sorry for cutting it of shortly, but I'm real excited for the next chapter. I got volume 23 of D. Gray-man, and many of my predictions have been coming true! Of course, not the predictions that I'm going to be using in this story, but ones that I made for myself. There are going to be certain parts of my predictions that I have factored in to my story, but there are many that I haven't. Ahahaha... it's why my ending is going to suck. This story, like the other two that are currently active, are the ones that I have planned out.<strong>

**Anyways... I'm going to finish this real soon, probably by the end of this summer, hopefully. If my schedule keeps up like this, I'll be more active in the spring and summer, hopefully. We shall see, all!**

**Please review, I'm very interested in getting outside opinions! m(^_^)m**


	11. raging golden moon

**Reckoning  
>Chapter 11<br>raging golden moon**

* * *

><p>After fifteen long, agonizing minutes of searching, fifteen minutes of precious time that I couldn't afford to waste, I found what I'd been searching for. Lulu Bell's door stood in front of me, as tall and proud as I ever remembered.<p>

Pushing open the door, I flew into the room and looked around desperately for the older woman. She was sitting, I assumed she was doing her makeup, and didn't seem to notice me. "Lulu!" I cried, staring gratefully at the golden-haired Noah. She looked up in shock, while I just smiled softly, relief flooding through my entire body. "I'm home," I muttered, walking forward slightly, my legs aching from running up and down all those stairs.

She stood up from where she was sitting at her vanity and placed down the nail polish. She was always like that, wasn't she? "Akicho?" She smiled softly, something she didn't usually do, moving forward to catch me by my shoulders. "Yes… you're home. But," she looked me up and down, "What's with the long coat? You do realize how hot out it is, right?"

Smiling, I playfully retorted, "You're one to talk, Lulu. You're wearing a suit in the middle of the summer!"

Lulu rolled her eyes and sat me down on her plush couch, rushing back towards her vanity. Silence took over the room as she finished repainting her nails.

"I know why you're here," she said finally, standing once more. "I'll show you to the next level, but from there, you'll have to find the idiot twins. Jasdero and Debitto, you remember them. After all, how could you forget morons like them? They've been dying to see you. But before I send you off, I'm fixing that horrid outfit of yours." She grabbed some sewing scissors and knelt down before the couch.

As she started to cut the uniform very neatly, almost like she was the designer of it, I watched with a grin on my face. She'd made all of my clothes when I was little, while I'd watched, like we were doing now. Lulu had always had an eye for a good design. "Thanks, Lulu." She didn't reply, but I did see her lips curl upwards a little bit in a small smile. "It looks and feels much better." It was now shorter, going down to my thighs, like a short dress, with the black leggings underneath.

When she was finished, Lulu stood and put her scissors away, each movement slow and almost reluctant. She sighed, almost sadly. Her voice was wistful as she placed her hand on my cheek and muttered, "I wish you were still on our side. We could be a family again."

"We still are," I replied quietly, a small smile forming on my face again. "I'll always love you guys, no matter which side I'm on." I smiled, remembering the memories that I always treasured, the memories of what Lulu and me used to do together.

_An eleven-year-old Akicho was standing on a wooden box, looking down warily at the pink dress she had practically been forced into. "Lulu, you know pink isn't my color…" she protested weakly. "It looks awful… I mean, I look awful in it…"_

_The Noah stepped back and looked at her work. She was around fourteen at that time and aiming to be a designer, in her human life, at least. She had always been a fashionista. "Yes, I think you're right, at least about pink not being your color." She paused for a moment, then snapped her fingers in an epiphany. "Hang on, I've got a navy blue dress that would be absolutely stunning on you. Tyki wouldn't be able to look away." She winked. "I'm absolutely sure that he likes you, too."_

_Akicho suddenly turned a beautiful shade of crimson and cried, "St-stop teasing me about that, Lulu! Just because I think he's attractive- Oh, God, forget I said that!" She was wailing now._

_Lulu raised one eyebrow, amused. "I think you've said that loud enough for the whole Ark to hear."_

_The younger girl simply put her head in both her hands and groaned loudly, shaking her head from side to side. "I won't be able to face him tonight…" she muttered sadly. Groaning again, she spun around until she collapsed onto the couch, burying her head into a fluffy pillow._

_Looking sympathetic, Lulu sat next to her friend. "Have I told you what he told me?" Akicho looked up sadly and shook her head, her face still red, but fading away to a light pink. "He told me that you are the most beautiful girl he's ever had the pleasure of knowing." Lulu smiled and tucked a piece of hair behind Akicho's ear "You know he likes you, too, right? I think he might even love you."_

_Said girl sat up and swung her feet back and forth, staring at the ground. "I feel like a school girl whispering secrets," Akicho quipped, looking down with a clearly red face. Lulu had to chuckle at her innocence. "What? I do…"_

Lulu laughed a bit at the memories. "You know he still loves you, right Akicho?" I nodded, feeling my face flush, just like it had so many years ago. "But not the way you used to love him." I nodded again, still slightly red. "Well, he's always on your side. If you find him, I'm sure he'll let you go. It's the Earl that you have to worry about. Now…" she trailed off, pulling a key from her shelf. She pushed it into the lock of the bathroom door and glanced to me. "Go. You may be able to get out in time. Just be careful."

The door swung open to reveal a black and purple portal of swirling darkness and light. I stepped forward, then stopped as I stood next to Lulu. She was looking into the portal, her gaze far away at that moment. Reaching up, I enveloped the older woman in a hug. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

She didn't hug back, but instead whispered, "I expect no forgiveness for the things that I have done, or those that I am about to do. They will never be against you, but against what you stand for and those you stand with now… but I ask for you to always think of me as your family, no matter what happens in this war."

I nodded as I pulled away. "I feel as if I have to ask the same thing of you. I might… just have to fight you again… and next time, if you don't run, I may end up having to kill you… or you might have to kill me… And I won't ever be able to do that."

"I know." She pulled my arms away from her, looking down with almost teary eyes. "Go. Please."

Nodding once more, I ran into the darkness, away from my sister, remembering the words she had said only moments before. It was inevitable now that even Lulu knew. My family and I would be pitted against each other in the battles to come, and I was unsure of if I could forgive _myself_ for the actions I would be forced to take against them.

They were… human, too. Sure, they had superpowers and strength that far surpassed those of regular humans, but didn't we Exorcists, too? We all had human emotion, the ability to feel anger and sadness, and happiness and hope.

Hope… that was something we all needed at this point.

-YU KANDA-

_What the hell kind of pills is this guy taking?!_

Every damn time that Kanda got a hit in to the golden Noah, his blades sparkled with some stupid purple light, and every time he made a scratch, the Noah only regenerated whatever skin he cut. Kanda was close to giving up…

Like hell he was.

Skin was good, but he certainly wasn't the best warrior ever. He was far too stupid to be the best. He was strong, but not fast. Kanda had dodged all of the hits due to speed.

"Eight Flowers Praying Mantis!" That hit looked like it ended that fight. But this Noah was tough, and he got up once again.

_How is he still able to stand? No matter. It'll all be over soon._

Another earthquake shook the entire room, and Kanda knew that the room didn't have much time before it collapsed. He quickly tapped into the power inside his tattoo and the ability Sublimate, and from there, the ability Three Illusions. The power radiating from Kanda did some damage to Skin, but no matter what, this dumb Noah just wouldn't give up.

Then Kanda remembered that Skin was the Noah of Wrath. He wouldn't forgive Kanda for anything, and because of the hits Kanda had gotten in, the lightning from the Noah's golden skin was burning Kanda's hands viciously, trailing up Kanda's trusted blade and into his skin.

Skin rushed forward, but Kanda slashed at him again, and again, and again, managing to get many hits in at one time. His speed and his strength had increased thanks to Three Illusions.

There was a dangerous side effect, however. His life force would drain after using Three Illusions, and he wouldn't have much time left after this. Sure, there was a shitload of petals on that damn lotus, but honestly, with all the fights Kanda would be getting in after this, those petals wouldn't last forever. All of them had to fall at one point or another, and all of them would fall, and take him with them.

Kanda let a smirk take over his face. "With all the openings you're leaving, I could take your head off." He knew Skin wouldn't see it. To everyone else, it would only look like a flick of his blade. But Kanda knew that he was slashing in five places at once, and he saw the damage it did to Skin as blood erupted from the Noah's skin, splattering everywhere with no remorse. Skin fell to his knees in pain, but still wouldn't give up.

Finally, the burns inflicted by touching Skin showed on Kanda's hands. They were hurting him because of Three Illusions. Skin finally got a hit in on Kanda with a large bolt and a ton of chains that erupted from his chest. The chains pulled Kanda in towards Skin, who slammed him into a rock formation, and none to gently.

"Just because you're Akicho's new friend doesn't mean I'll go easy on you, Exorcist. You're naïve, and I won't allow you to survive." Kanda was being pulled around like a rag doll, and there was nothing he could do about it.

His tattoo pulsed in his chest and he growled. "I can't die. Pain in the ass chains… now get ready, 'cause I'm about to kick your ass." Kanda was thrown, once again, into another stone tower. He struggled to get up while listening to Skin rant about how Kanda was just about dead. Picking up his Twin Illusion Blades again, Kanda glared at Skin.

He remembered what Komui had said not too long ago. "_Your clock has started ticking, Kanda. You can't misjudge the strength of your life force."_

He looked up at Skin and quietly declared, "I won't die." And despite everything, he believed those words. Then, the room started to shake again. Time was almost up for that room. It would collapse shortly.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I could feel the shaking from the Ark. I knew that one of the rooms was about to collapse. All I could do was hope that it wasn't one that my any of my friends… that Kanda or Allen or Lavi or Lenalee was in. If one of them were in the room that was collapsing, I didn't know what I'd do.

I ran up the stairs, watching for any signs of one of the rooms about to collapse. It wasn't Road's room and it wasn't the twin's room. It wasn't Tyki's room and it wasn't Lulu's room. It wasn't Sheryl's room and it wasn't the Earl's room. Skin was the only one left. I looked down at the window to his room.

What I saw shocked me to the core. Skin was still in his room, fighting against someone in a black coat. An Exorcist. Someone was still in that room with him. I looked at the window intently as I kept running up the set of stairs to the twin's room, hoping that they'd be there. I saw the entrance collapse.

"My name is Kanda, you lightning bastard."

A gasp escaped my lips. Kanda was in there with Skin? No… No, no, no! Neither one of them would ever give up. If those two stubborn pricks were still in that damn room when it collapsed… I couldn't even bear to think about it. I couldn't lose two of my dear friends in one wrong move.

Even though I knew they couldn't hear me, I yelled, "Kanda! Skin! You morons, get the hell out of there! Suck up your manly pride and leave that room! Please! I can't watch you die… I just can't!"

-YU KANDA-

He heard it. He had heard Akicho's pleading for him to get out. Oh, he'd leave. He would leave that room in his rearview mirror as soon as he kicked the Noah's ass. He heard her voice choke up.

"_I can't watch you die… I just can't!"_

He closed his eyes and thought, _I won't die. There're still some things that I have to do before I give up. I promise that I'll come back._

A smirk took over Kanda's solemn face, tugging at the furthest corner of his lips, as he heard what her reply would be in his mind. He'd been hanging around her too damn much. He already knew what she'd say to him. "_You'd better, you asshole."_

Turning to Skin, Kanda silently wondered if his opponent had heard anything at all from Akicho. If it was just him, he smirked. Maybe the bond between the Noah and Akicho wasn't so tough after all. Or maybe the Noah was just a prick to worry her. Kanda would never make that mistake.

But the Noah's damned chains were hard to get rid of. He felt himself being pulled all over the place and let a cry of pain out from his wounds. It was all finally catching up with him. Damn. His regenerative powers were slower now, due to the fact that he used Three Illusions.

As he was thrown into the rocks, he felt his coat ripped off his body. His tattoo was bound to show. He felt his world go black. This was the third time he'd died in a few days. His illusion blade disappeared from his hand. His tattoo glowed a little as it gave him back life once more, and in his mind's eye, he saw one of the petals fall from the lotus.

_I won't die._

_I promised her that I won't die. I promised her that I'll come back._

Skin growled and walked forward. Kanda looked dead on his feet, and the Noah grabbed him by the throat. The tattoo began to glow again and Kanda struggled back to his full consciousness. He could feel his heart beating in his chest. He moved his sword arm and stabbed Mugen right through Skin's chest. The Noah cried out as Kanda sliced him with the blade, even with the lightning he was suffering. Skin dropped Kanda and landed in a vicious pool of his own blood. Mugen was lying by Kanda's side, smoking from the damage. Kanda could hear Skin growling and ranting.

Standing once again, Kanda saw that the chains were still in his chest. "Not even you Noah are immortal. No one believes that shit. All humans die…" looking down at the body of the Noah of Wrath, Kanda's hair was blown a little as he continued, "… as long as they're still human."

Snow seemed to be falling over the room as Kanda struggled to the exit, not looking back at the body.

Not even when it moved.

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><p><strong>So this is a really, really late update. Haha, I fail. I'm sorry, forgive me. crawls back under my rock. I'm trying to finish this story and _Lost in the Dark_ before summer break, so I can start another story, one that I'm more proud of than this lump of horse shit. It's getting better, since I think my writing has evolved since I wrote this chapter.**

**Yeah. By the way, the latest DGM chapter has made me sob like a little girl. Just... I can't even. What is life.**

**Anyways, please review and support me so I have enough inspiration to complete this story without losing faith that people actually want to read it. Haha, that sounds so selfish and conceited, but reviews really do make me happy, ahaha. ^^;;;**

**Oh, one more thing. Would you guys be interested in reading a Kanda x Akicho fanfiction about the two of them in high school? It'd be based off _10 Things I Hate About You_, with cameo appearances by the rest of the cast? Including our favorite white-haired beansprout and annoying rabbit and adorable kitten! Would that be okay? Or is that just stupid?**


	12. illusions and heartbeats

**Reckoning  
>Chapter 12<br>illusions and heartbeats**

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><p>Now, only five minutes later, I was standing in front of the door I knew to be the twins'. It had to be; they were the only two who would decorate their door black with red X's all over the wood. I sighed. They were still the morons they always had been, even when we were all ten. Opening the door, I noticed the two were sitting at their desks, Jasdero scribbling away in a notepad with his gun next to him and Debitto was polishing his gun.<p>

Debitto was the first to look up. "Jas, look who's back," he said calmly, a small smile suddenly forming on his gray face.

The blonde twin did so, dropping his pencil. A wide grin spread over his lips, which were threaded shut, though he could still talk. "Akicho!" he exclaimed happily. He and his punk twin exchanged a look and leapt on me, wrapping their arms around me in a hug. "You're back, you're back, you're back!" Jasdero kept repeating over and over, nuzzling my face with his.

"Great to see you again, huh? Happy to be home?" Debitto looked down at my coat in curiosity. "Geez, when Tyki said he saw 'Akicho the Exorcist,' I thought he was joking. Unfortunately, he wasn't, was he?"

I shook my head, returning their embraces. "Yeah, I know. But we're family, right?" I asked, smiling. Jas looked down and his eyes widened. When he looked back up, his face looked like he'd just been hit. Shock was the only registered emotion on his face.

He squeaked, "But-but… we were gonna kill the Exorcists and destroy the stupid Black Order! Why'd you join their side?" I could see that the blond twin was about to cry. Jasdero was never good with controlling his emotions like the other Noah. He wasn't the best at hiding what he was feeling. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and let his emotions control him.

Patting his head, I sadly replied, "I'm not against you. I'm against the Earl. He's ruined my life, you know that." Debitto nodded, but Jas still looked upset. "I won't fight you guys. No matter what, I'm your sister."

"Forever?" Jas asked hopefully.

I nodded. "Forever, Jas. I love you." Debitto cleared his throat, raising one eyebrow expectantly. "You too, Debitto."

Debitto and Jasdero came forward and both hugged me again. Not a minute later, with a mischievous look on his face, Debitto suddenly pulled away and asked, "You came here for a reason, right? What did you come to ask, dear sister of ours?" Smirking, I looked from one twin to the other.

-YU KANDA-

Kanda was almost to the damn exit when his stupid legs gave out. He'd taken too much damage from the battle against Skin. He couldn't even move his left hand. He figured it was because he used too much of his life in the fight. That was a big mistake of his. If he didn't get out soon, he was sure that Akicho would kick his ass. Or at least attempt to.

He heard explosions in the background and as he looked to the exit, his vision went blurry. Sticking his sword into the snow, he remembered the bean sprout, Lenalee, and Akicho. Especially the look Akicho gave him before she fell. Using Mugen to stand he thought, _I'm remembering stupid shit. I'm not going to die in a place like this. No damn way._

Using Mugen as a crutch, he kept limping closer to the exit. Closer to seeing those other annoying Exorcists, closer to hearing the bean sprout complain, closer to having to listen to the stupid rabbit call him by his first name, and closer to finding his teammate. He couldn't give up now.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

Debitto opened the door to the next group of stairs, which was behind his bookshelf. That made a lot more sense, seeing as neither of the twins ever read. Jasdero didn't even know how to read. Debitto knew… somewhat… but he certainly didn't read anything like the books that were on the shelves.

What was behind the door wasn't the usual stairs. It was a staircase that led right into a maze. It looked like it was set up using giant dominos. "What the hell is this?" I demanded, looking around at the room the three of us had stepped into.

The black-haired twin laughed sheepishly. "Well, whenever we're stuck here without anything else to do, we had a lot of time on our hands, and we decided to make another room. It was meant as a challenge for us. You see, not even we know how to get through, since the maze changes every time we come into the room."

The blond twin cheered and added, "So we'll take you through! The basic design is always the same, so we'll be just fine! You'll see!"

I laughed. They would be the ones to get bored and make another room for kicks. "Let's go." It was then that the maze started to shake, just like the first floor had. "Oh, shit," I cursed quietly, watching a few of the dominos fall. One was all it took to set the rest of them off. They really were dominos. Every other one of the blocks began to fall.

The twins both looked like they were going to freak out any second. "The one aspect that never changes is that if all of the dominos collapse, you've got to restart the maze! We've got to go, before you're trapped in here!" Debitto grabbed my left hand and Jasdero, my right, and they began to lead me through the maze.

Chunks of the ceiling were falling, just barely missing us. I gasped as Jasdero nimbly jumped out of the way of one of the dominos. Debitto had a determined look on his face. "The exit's on the other side of the room! We've been going straight, but don't forget that this is a maze!" he shouted over the crumbling and the shaking of the room.

A shadow suddenly appeared over me. Looking up, I gasped and jumped out of the way at the last second, pushing both of the twins away from me as a piece of the ceiling almost hit all of us. I landed safely, but when I tried to stand from where I had landed, a sharp pain in my ankle forced me back down as I winced in pain.

Jasdero looked back and cursed, "Shit!" He and Debitto rushed back, pulling out their guns and aiming toward each other. There was a loud bang. I looked up and saw that in the place of the twins was a tall figure that I recognized quite easily. It was Jasdevi, the true form of Jasdero and Debitto. He had a small smile on his face as he flexed his fingers. He looked back towards me.

Running forward, Jasdevi pulled me up and slung me onto his back, running fast as he said, "We're halfway through the room! The second half of the maze isn't going to be as easy or as straightforward as this one!"

He was right. There were two paths, one that I knew lead to a dead end while the other would lead to more splits. Jasdevi's eyes narrowed and he veered left, causing me to shriek a bit. "Are you absolutely sure that we're going the right way?" I asked, trying to be heard over the rumbling.

Shaking his head, he replied, "No clue. I'm just winging it!" I sent him an incredulous look as he approached another fork, veering left again. "Besides, this is our maze. It has to do what we tell it! Right?"

Jasdevi had a point. The maze was the twins' creation, and they had the power to control it. At least, we hoped. Me more than them, I think. "Let's just get to the exit. If I'm right, then when the Ark is finished downloading, these rooms will all be destroyed. We don't have much time left. Let's go!"

The Noah seemed to understand the hidden message: _"If you don't get me out of here, I swear, I'll castrate you if you're not already dead."_ He sped up, dodging more debris and dominos, turning left and right along the way. I could see the door. We were almost home free! But a shadow covered the door and a mass of the dominos fell before it, blocking off the path that we were going to take to get out and still be alive. The room shook more violently, and the rock of the ceiling fell on top of the dominos, sealing the only way to the exit. Jasdevi looked shocked and almost dropped me.

"No!" I cried. Jasdevi backed up, almost slamming me into another one of the dominos before running and leaping over the debris. He landed, but when he put me down, he noticed something. Another chunk of rock was falling.

Pushing me out of the way, he yelled, "Get out of the way, Akicho!" I landed on my side. Smoke was everywhere. I gaped at the gray fog covering the ground. Jasdevi hadn't gotten out in time. I heard a gasp of pain and then a scream.

I rushed into the fog. "Jasdevi!" The smoke cleared and I saw that Jasdevi was stuck under the rock, his legs being crushed underneath the boulder. He was sitting up and using his skinny arms to try and push the rock off of him. "Oh my God…" I didn't know what to do. Using my Innocence was the first thing that popped into my mind, but I couldn't destroy; only create. "Hang on, I'm going to try and get you out." My voice was calm, but my brain wasn't.

It had gone into overdrive. I had to help Jasdevi. If only Lavi was here. Then he could push the stone off or crush it with his Innocence. Everything ran through my mind, every possible way I could save Jasdevi before the room collapsed.

He opened his eyes and moaned, "Go, Akicho. You'll be trapped if you stay here…" I shook my head firmly and tried to push the stone. Clearly it only made it worse, as Jasdevi cried out for me to stop. "It's okay. We'll be fine."

I sunk back into my thoughts, grabbing Jasdevi's hand and beginning to cry. There was one way I could help them. I placed my hand on a giant rock and it shattered to form what was almost a carbon copy of Lavi's hammer. Only thing was, it wasn't made of metal. That thought didn't occur to me as I swung the hammer with all my strength and watching as it slammed into the side of oversized boulder on Jasdevi.

It rolled a little, and I swung again. "Don't scream. It's going to hurt a little," I tried to reassure the Noah. Every time I swung, I saw the Noah of Bonds' face contort a little in pain, but the boulder was moving. Just as I thought I was going to collapse, I swung one last time and the boulder cracked, rolling off of his legs.

Dropping the hammer, I grabbed Jasdevi's hand and dragged him up to the door and grabbed the key from around his neck, jamming it into the keyhole. Twisting the key, I slammed open the door and pulled Jasdevi with me.

It was a copy of their room, but it was a mirror image. Pulling at Jasdevi's arms, I hauled him up and onto the bed. Rolling his pants legs up, I winced at the bruising. I didn't listen as his voice tried to assure me that he was going to be okay. Frantically rushing around the room, I pulled open drawers and cabinets in search of bandages. Finally, I found some in the bathroom, on the top shelf. They were black, of course.

Sitting back at Jasdevi's side, I began to wrap his legs, praying to whatever God that they believed in that they would get well enough in time to make it out of this Ark alive.

I gently stroked Jasdevi's hair and told him, "We're safe. I'm going to leave the key on your bookshelf, so you guys had better make sure you get out, too."

Jasdevi reached out and grabbed my hand. "You saved us. Thanks, Akicho." A weak smile overtook his face. It was clear how hurt he was. "At least we heal fast, right?"

I nodded happily. "It was no problem. I'd do anything for family." I smiled and squeezed his hand before doing what I said I would and running out the door to the staircase. I knew who I had to find next. He was the only person who knew what happened to my friends. He knew where Road was, and Road could help me find my friends. I had to find him before time ran out.

Tyki Mikk.

-YU KANDA-

A bolt of lightning hit the body of Skin, catching Kanda's eye. "You're shitting me," he growled as Skin's legs allowed him to stand. "How the hell is he still alive? Damn." With Mugen rendered useless, Kanda had no weapon to defend himself with. His legs were weak, and he could barely feel his left hand at all. On top of that, his vision was getting blurry. Kanda raised the melted sword and ran towards the attacking Noah, just barely dodging Skin's first bolt of lightning. "Mugen, Activate!" he ordered, not stopping. He ran right into another bolt of lightning, and was hit. "Just die already!" he yelled at Skin as he was hit and blown back again.

Even with the hits that Skin had taken, he was still sparking with rage. The purple light was covering every inch of visible skin as Kanda struggled to his feet again. Finally, it struck Kanda. Skin was being completely controlled by his hate for the Exorcists. But Mugen was at its limit, too. Kanda looked at the exit once. Maybe he could make a break for it.

No… that wasn't his style.

Instead, he activated Twin Illusion Blades. "You have to hold out, Mugen," he ordered his sword quietly, activating Three Illusions. The blades grew to an enormous size and it took the shape of wings. The power radiating from when the two powers combining lashed out and destroyed several remaining walls of the room. Kanda faltered, and struggled to hold out when he felt the increase in the power that Skin had.

The Noah's hatred had fully taken over his body.

"I won't die. I won't die until I find that person."

But Mugen couldn't last. The sword began to crack, and after a long battle, Kanda's trusted blade shattered. A huge explosion overtook the room and when it was over, Skin was still standing. Kanda had been slammed into a nearby rock, looking dead to the world.

In fact, he had probably died again.

But Skin hadn't destroyed Kanda's Innocence like he thought. A line of blue light appeared under the Noah's feet. Kanda had used some of whatever life force he had left to use Mugen's power one last time. The light was connecting Mugen's fragments to each other. One by one, they all restored the blade and Kanda, who was anything but dead, slashed at Skin. The Noah was quiet for a moment, then he laughed. He still believed he was immortal.

Apparently, even the Noah could be wrong. Skin exploded into green mist, leaving no trace he was ever even there.

Kanda looked up. He knew that there were still petals on the lotus. He wouldn't die. But the room was collapsing, and fast. More petals were falling. Maybe they did fall, huh… Kanda stood, but his legs wouldn't allow him to.

"I can still…"

His efforts were futile. Even Kanda knew that he wouldn't be able to get to the exit in time. Smirking, he remarked, "Well, they're gonna be pissed. And she's probably going to spit on my grave." By she, Kanda meant-

_Crash._

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

Two consecutive shivers ran up my spine, one after the other.

I stopped mid-climb and sank to my knees in horror. They were gone… Skin and Kanda. Those damned idiots! How could they do that to me? They went and got their dumb selves killed. Well, I wasn't going to forgive them at all this time. Damn you Kanda… why'd you have to go and get your stupid ass killed?

I felt a warm liquid streaming from my eyes and down my face. I was crying. I sighed and shakily put one foot in front of the other, continuing to climb the stairs.

No matter what, I had to keep moving.

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><p><strong>And so ends <em>Reckoning<em>, with the death of our male lead, Yu Kanda...**

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**Nah, I'm only kidding, haha! Sorry, did I scare you there? I wouldn't end it there, there's still so much to do!**

**Omo, but this story is almost halfway over. That makes me kind of sad, haha.**

**So, since "Lost in the Dark" is going to be a huge work in progress, and probably won't end any time soon, please go to my profile and vote for a shorter series that I'll be doing!**

**I have five series that I have lined up - Durarara!, K/K Project, Kuroko no Basuke/Kuroko's Basketball, Psycho-Pass, or Zetsuen no Tempest/Blast of Tempest. Please vote for your three favorites, and I'll be sure to hurry up with those. d=(´▽｀)=b**

**Thanks guys~!**


	13. the winner takes it all

**Reckoning  
>Chapter 13<br>the winner takes it all**

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><p>I didn't know where I was going, but I knew that Tyki had to be somewhere around here. He may have been in Road's room, but if that was true, than maybe Road would be easier to find than I thought.<p>

Skin… Kanda… I would get out of here. Maybe, just maybe, I would be able to keep going for them. I was still crying, and I had to wonder if the others were, too. Jasdero, Debitto, Lulu, Tyki, and Road… were they crying for their lost comrade? I also wondered if Allen and the rest of them knew that something happened to Kanda. I wondered if they knew that he was… dead.

I sighed again, letting my back lean against another door. It wasn't Tyki's door, so I didn't see any reason behind me staying. I just couldn't go on with trying to get out of the Ark by myself, knowing that two of my friends, one of them being my family, were dead. I came across the door I knew very well. It was the only plain one with a patched up hole in the center.

Skin…

When I opened it, I saw a group of four very familiar faces. "Road… so you guys know that he's dead…" I assumed, seeing the tears running down their gray faces. "I'm so sorry…" Jasdero began to wail and clung to me like he would when we were little. I wrapped my arms around him. "It's going to be okay, Jas. Skin's going to be fine. He was strong, stronger than anyone in terms of will. He'll be fine."

The twins began to sob, and even Tyki sniffed a bit. "But aren't you twins supposed to be hunting down Cross?" Apparently, they had been for a while, and they'd gotten back when I came in. "You two failed again, didn't you?"

… Again?

Fire seemed to swarm around the two. "Yeah, so we failed? There a problem?" Debitto spat, glaring fiercely at the Noah of Pleasure.

"Maybe I should start hunting him," Tyki mused, the tears finally gone from his face. I sighed. Another pointless twins versus Tyki argument. So that probably meant that this "Cross" guy was really good. He even managed to slip the bill to the twins, literally. But Jasdevi wasn't the name written on the bills. Allen Walker was. Which meant that Cross knew who was hunting him… right?

Road turned to me. "I know why you're here. But I can't help you until the other Exorcists get here." A smirk overtook her face. "That is, if they get here." She smirked.

-ALLEN WALKER-

Allen was leading his friends through the empty hallway. It was long, and Kanda still hadn't caught up. Beer bottles were rolling towards them and a voice called, "A bomb is in one of those bottles~ You have to find it before time runs out, or you'll all go boom!" The voice chuckled.

All of the bottles looked familiar. They were all brands that Allen had been forced to bring back to Cross. The bomb was in the most expensive one. Allen finally realized it, but it was getting too late. Lavi had the brilliant idea of repeating their fun game of baseball to deactivate it.

Then it struck Allen. Could Cross be in the Ark, too?

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I grimaced. Road's brilliant idea was to send Jasdevi in to kill the others. Wonderful. Either they'd win and the Exorcists would be dead… or Jasdevi would have their asses handed to them. Knowing those two, they'd use pranks and other things to trick the Exorcists. I sighed. Yep, Jasdevi was doomed. They'd probably use what they learned from hunting Cross.

This would be interesting. I knew that Allen was a whiz at cards and all types of gambling, so if Jasdevi even tried it, they were done. Even if Allen cheated, they wouldn't have any proof against him.

Oh yeah, they were _sooo_ dead.

-ALLEN WALKER-

Oh… now he understood. The twin Noah had been tricked by Master, too. But those bills were absolutely nothing compared to what Allen had gone through while training under Cross.

… To be totally honest, the two were kind of stupid.

Then the blonde twin, Jasdero cheered, "But if we didn't fail, we wouldn't have gotten to see Akicho again!" The other twin, Debitto, nodded in agreement. "She's saved us more than once. You've met her, right?"

Allen's eyes narrowed. "She saved _you_?"

Debitto shrugged nonchalantly. "She is part of our family. She'll always be family, even though she's one of you guys now. The only one of us she can't stand is the Earl. To be honest, he's too scary for us. But she's like… our third part. We wouldn't be Jasdevi without her."

Finally losing his temper, Allen demanded, "Where is she?!"

After exchanging a look with his brother, Debitto answered, "She's with Tyki and Road. She wants to get you guys out, or she would've gotten out herself. She can do that, you know." The white-haired Exorcist's eyes widened. "Yeah, she seemed really desperate. I guess it was because of that other guy who got left behind. What's his name… Ah, she never mentioned his name."

Kanda? What happened to Kanda?

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

Oh, those idiot twins… What had they gotten themselves into now? I sighed. Tyki looked over to me, then back down and said, "You've been sighing an awful lot. Is it because of that Exorcist that got left behind in Skin's room?" I looked away from his prying golden gaze and towards the bookshelf. I could practically hear Tyki's lips turning up in a smirk. "I think that's a yes."

I huffed and replied, "He was too strong to die like that. He probably would rather have died in battle than get killed by a collapsing room." More tears welled up in my eyes and I quickly wiped them away. "Kanda was always like that."

Tyki looked over once again with a smirk. "You really care about them. Especially the one you called 'Kanda,' right?" The blood rushed to my face and I nodded slowly. "You know, you never had emotions this strong before. They were always slight emotions, like hints of something bigger," he said amusedly. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back onto the chair. "Now… now I can hear a heartbeat, and it's coming from you."

I looked up sharply. A heart… beat? Akuma like me didn't have hearts. "I have a heartbeat?" I asked softly. Tyki nodded. I placed my hand over where my heart should be and felt it. A pulse, a steady beat… and it was mine. "How is this possible?" I asked myself in disbelief. "I shouldn't have a heart."

The Noah of Pleasure shrugged. "I don't know, Aki."

He called me… Aki… "You haven't called me that since I was little." He nodded, either not caring or not listening. "It's nice to hear you call me that again." I smiled, tugging my legs to my chest. "I just wish that you, and me, and the Noah, and the Exorcists could all stay nice… you know, as friends."

He laughed coldly. "No way that would ever happen. But Aki, know that you are the connection between us and the Exorcists." His hand reached out to pat my head, once again, like he used to. "Just don't die on us, alright?" His signature smirk came back to his face as he said that. "I have one more question. Have you ever felt anything special for one of the Exorcists?"

Special? "Like what?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. "They're all my friends. The ones I met, at least. I've met the only Exorcists left, except for Cross, Klaud, and Socalo, and they're Generals. They're all so nice to me…"

Shaking his head, he replied, "No, that's not the kind of special I was talking about. Special meaning what you feel when you like someone a lot."

"A lot?" I asked. "Like when you want to stay with someone forever?" I smiled. "Not really, but sometimes, I feel this urge pulling me to someone… It's usually Kanda, you know?"

He smirked and patted my head again. "You're so stupid. You love him."

I blinked several times, a confused look spreading over my face. "Love?" I asked carefully. "Why would I be in love with Kanda? It's not like he'll be one to love me back. I'm an Akuma, and he's an Exorcist. There's no way it'd work, just like the way you and I were never meant to work out, either."

Tyki nodded and said, "Well, we're still family, no matter what happens, right? And that's all that really matters. Besides," he paused, "You know, the moment I mentioned your name, he began to fume, and seemed almost worried about you."

Gaping at him, I disbelievingly repeated, "Kanda? Worried? Why would he worry about me?" Kanda wasn't the type to worry about people. He was more or less the type to take a look at suffering, scoff, and walk away, not looking back. He had helped me lots times, but even so, that didn't mean that he was worried…

He shrugged again. "Maybe he loves you?" Tyki suggested calmly.

It just wasn't possible. There was no way.

-ALLEN WALKER-

Those two shot each other. But they didn't die; their shadows combined, and they formed Jasdevi, the Noah of Bonds. Krory was thrown into a bookshelf, landing quite loudly and painfully, and Allen couldn't even touch Jasdevi without getting hurt. They even wanted to use Allen to destroy their way out. Every part about them was strong. Their hair, their illusions, and all of their attacks. No one could get a useful attack in without getting hurt badly.

Jasdevi was born as one Noah, but they split and became two, Jasdero and Debitto. And now, Krory was going to face him. He wanted to face him alone, with no help from his fellow Exorcists. The others didn't want to leave him, especially since the room was reaching its destruction.

"With these wounds, I won't be able to fight for very long. So I want you to take Lenalee and Chaoji and go. You have to protect them."

_Get going._

Kanda… now Krory? How many more would they lose against these Noah? But Allen couldn't stay hooked on that for long. They all ran through the door, Allen half dragging Lenalee to the next room.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I was watching Krory fighting Jasdero and Debitto, or Jasdevi. Krory was getting thrown, kicked, punched, and, overall, beaten badly. I gasped as he was thrown into a bookshelf for another time. Taunting Krory would get them nowhere, but I knew that Krory was too injured to keep Jasdevi from going through the door.

I couldn't watch him die. Rushing back up to Road's room, I saw her pulling different dresses from a rack. "Akicho! Which one looks best?" the blue-haired Noah asked, holding up a blue dress and a white dress.

Pointing to one, I replied, "The blue one."

She giggled happily and skipped of to make dinner and change. Tyki was smirking a little, and he told me, "She's infatuated with Allen Walker. He's made it past everyone and is coming here." He didn't seem too excited. "You know, two of those Exorcists didn't make it here."

Nodding, I quietly replied, "I know. Kanda and Krory stayed behind to defeat Skin and Jasdevi. I just hope that Jasdevi's okay, too." I sat down in Road's chair and continued, "It's not like I don't care about Krory or Kanda, it's just that I don't want any of my family to die." Tyki looked over to me and I looked at him, half smiling, half crying. "Everyone in this Ark is my family. If I lose my family, I'll have no one left."

Tyki's smirk fell a little. "Don't worry," he said, putting his hand on mine. "You'll always have someone, whether it be Noah or Exorcist. I'll always be there. Kanda and Skin will always be in your memories. Allen Walker and the others will be, too. The Noah will stay with you." He sighed and ran his other hand through his hair. "Ugh, that was so sappy. I cannot believe I just said that." I giggled a little. "Well, at least I got you to laugh."

"Yeah," I quietly said. "You were always the one who was able to do that."

He looked up to the ceiling and asked, "Was Kanda?"

I smiled a little. "Yes. He was."

Smirking again, he looked down to me. "Then I guess… he's close to you." He smiled a sort of half-smile. "I'm glad that he's that close to you. You finally care about someone that hadn't been around since you were little." His hand that laid on mine found its way to my head, where he patted my head. "I don't think he's dead. If your friend Allen Walker makes it past me, he may have the power to bring him back."

My head fell onto his shoulder. "I hope you're right."

Our conversation was interrupted by Road's cry of, "Allen!" and a whole bunch of other commotion. Tyki smirked and pulled on his coat and tie, smoothing back his hair. He sat in a large chair, which he probably pulled from the dinner table.

He sighed. "Road, what are you doing? Do you like the boy that much?" I was now standing behind him, leaning on the chair. That damn card started to fly around, squeaking that Allen was still alive.

Allen Walker was alive. "Allen! Lenalee!" I cried, running forward. Lenalee was the first to notice who I was. She pulled her arms around me when I ran to hug her. "I thought you were all dead!" I wailed, burying my head in her shoulders. "Allen…" He sheepishly opened his arms for a hug. I slapped the back of his head.

"Ow, ow, ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing his head. "Akicho… what was that for, huh?" His eyes showed confusion, as much as he tried to hide it. "Are you really that mad that- Oh. This is about Kanda, isn't it?"

I finally reached over and hugged him. "You idiot. Just don't worry me like that ever again."

He smiled a little. "I'll try."

Tyki's loud voice cut through the joyful reunion. "Sit down. Let's eat. I just want to talk to you before we fight." So he was going to fight Allen. I guess he was angry that he wasn't able to kill the white-haired Exorcist the first time. "Akicho, you sit down, too. This talk includes you."

Allen shook his head. "Sorry, but I think I'll refuse. I like to take my time when I eat." That he did; Allen was a bottomless pit. But I sighed, pulled out another chair, and sat down. "Akicho?"

Looking at him, I told him, "When Tyki says that he wants to talk to you, it's usually important. Except if it's about where I hid his favorite top hat."

"That was once, and you brought it upon yourself," Tyki quipped, swallowing some of his food. "Now… Allen Walker, do you want to know how much time you have left?" The whole Ark was collapsing. "This tower that we're in is the only place left in the entire Ark."

Lenalee was frantic. Her friends were gone. Road kicked the door shut. "I'm sorry, guys," I apologized. "But family comes first with me. Even so," I looked up, "Tyki, you should know that I will never forgive you if anyone else is hurt. Kanda and Krory are gone. There's nothing I can do. Now, will all four of you just sit down? This is going to be important." I picked up a fork and began to eat slowly, listening to all four of the Exorcists take their seats. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p><strong>Kind of short, but this is where everything starts. All the pieces will connect soon, and you'll realize everything.<strong>

**Short A/N, but oh well!**


	14. an impossible revival

**Reckoning  
>Chapter 14<br>an impossible revival**

* * *

><p>Tyki put down his utensils. "First off, I want to tell Akicho something. You should know… that the Millennium Earl has been lying to you." Road looked at Tyki warningly. "I know, Road. I can't tell you what he's been lying about, only that the rest of us only just found out." He sighed. "Maybe you'll find out if your friend wins."<p>

My hands shook. "Lying? He barely spoke to me. All he told me was that I was an Akuma, and that my entire family had died." Tyki nodded, but looked down. "He… he lied about that, didn't he?"

He shook his head. "I can't tell you. Now, Exorcist." He looked up. "Don't make faces!"

_Tyki… what are you planning to accomplish? You used to tell me that you'd never try to hurt me. But here we are, with you threatening my friends.__** You even tried to kill them. **__How can you expect me to believe you when you tell me that?_

The Noah of Pleasure exclaimed, "Come on, I said there'd be no cheating. This isn't a trap!" Lenalee began to shake as Road flirted with Allen. It must've been that Kanda and Krory were both gone. I watched as Lavi comforted her.

It must suck for him. He was in love with Lenalee. But she had fallen for Allen. The look in Lavi's eyes when he saw them together just tore me apart. He'd given up on trying for her love. I noticed it on the very first day I was with them. When Lavi and Lenalee had found out that I was an Akuma, Lavi had pulled Lenalee behind him. Allen sent them one jealous look before saving me from being sliced in half by-

By Kanda. Oh, God… how did every one of my memories with the Exorcists have him wrapped up in them? Now he was gone. I wasn't even listening to the conversation. I couldn't, not with the deaths of my friends…

Tyki laughed heartily, pulling me back to reality. "What, do you think that the boy is the Heart?" Allen? He's the Heart? "Just because his Innocence filled that hole in his heart doesn't mean that he _is_ the Heart." His golden gaze landed on me as he said, "Akicho's Innocence is her heart, too. It created a beating heart for her."

Everyone turned to gaze at me. "Is this true?" Allen asked warily. I nodded.

"Yes. I have no heart, so my Innocence made one for me," I replied shortly, looking at Tyki, who shrugged. "No Akuma has a heart. It runs on its blood. I do, too, but apparently I now have a need for a heart."

Everything went downhill from there. Tyki only wanted Allen's death. He had lived too long, in Tyki's opinion. I looked from Exorcist to Noah, to find that they both had the expression of absolute hatred written on both of their faces. They were absolutely livid at seeing the other. Allen, I could understand, as Tyki attempted to kill him. But Tyki… Tyki just wanted Allen dead.

A Tease landed near Lenalee, and quicker than anyone's eyes could keep up with, Allen pinned it to the chair without hesitating. "Tyki Mikk. I also have something I want to say," Allen began, the hatred in his eyes growing stronger. "If you lay one hand on my friends, I won't hesitate to kill you." Oh, God, was Allen pissed off. I glanced to Tyki, who smirked.

None of us could do anything to stop the two furious enemies from rushing at each other with everything they had. Road pulled me back from the clashing foes, and I looked at her. She shook her head. "Let Tyki do what he does. Allen won't die." She squeezed my hand and stared at the clash before turning to Lavi and smiling.

She looked like the Devil. "Would you like to play with me, Bookman?"

I shook a little, clenching my fist. "I can't allow anything else to happen. I lost two friends. I won't lose either of my brothers," I declared firmly. Pulling away from Road's loose grip, I ran towards Tyki and Allen's fight. I wouldn't lose them here, and not to each other. Lenalee, Lavi, and Chaoji all called out for me to stop, while Road shook her head again.

Road knew I was always stubborn when it came to family.

A scream from Lenalee forced me to stop and turn around. Chaoji and Lenalee were trapped in a giant dice. Lavi was going to face Road… As the Noah of Dreams, she could quite literally be his worst nightmare.

When I turned back to Allen, I saw that he was now struggling against Tyki in his worry for Lavi. I grimaced. I couldn't split myself in two. Either way, one of them was going to have to fight on their own. Tyki seemed to notice my dilemma and smirked. "Well, well, Akicho. Who's side are you going to take this time around? You can only be part of one team."

My eyes closed. Allen would be fine. Tyki wasn't the strongest. But Lavi was stuck in Road's world now. He was as good as dead if he couldn't find strength within himself. His insecurity and his past would soon get the best of him. Every nightmare he's ever had, every doubt about himself, would be what Road used against him. He wasn't fighting a Noah. He was fighting his own memories inside his own mind.

Lenalee and Chaoji looked worried for the red-haired Exorcist. I walked over to Road and glared at her. "Let him out, Road. He has no idea what he's in for."

She simply shrugged. "Who cares? After all, he's only an Exorcist. I've got another one to play with inside that little cube!" the eldest Noah exclaimed happily. I growled a little and knelt in front of Lavi.

"Road, don't do this. Just let me into his dream."

Road pouted. "No way! You'll suck all the fun out of it!" I sent her a glare and she sighed, still pouting. "Okay, you fun-sucker. If that other fight ends before he gets out, I'll let you in to pull him out of that dream. That is…" she sent a smirk my way before laughing, "… if he's still alive at that point!"

My brown eyes significantly widened. I had to help Lavi. His past must've been bad for Road to really be enjoying her torture that much. "Then I'll make sure that they all come back alive." I rushed to the edge of the tower, staring down. Allen didn't need my help. His new form of Innocence was practically unbeatable. But Tyki was getting serious.

I looked back to the unmoving Bookman and the two trapped in the dice. Lenalee caught my gaze and nodded, telling me to go. I was about to slide down, but our favorite white-haired teen was slammed into the dice cube by a burst of power from Tyki. Tyki landed next to me. "Stay out of the way, Akicho. I don't want to kill you." Allen was going to get killed if he didn't move.

Growling, I tackled Tyki as he advanced on Allen. I apparently took him by surprise, as I was easily able to pin him to the ground. A string of curses left his mouth. "Tyki, listen to me! Leave them alone!"

He pushed me off, pinning me down instead. "No, Akicho, you listen. I don't want to kill you, but if I have to, I will. Don't make this difficult," he snapped, his golden eyes boring into mine.

"If stepping back and living means that I have to watch my friends die, I think I'd rather you pull out my heart and crush it!" I spat back, kicking at him. "So do it already, Tyki! 'Cause I'm not going anywhere!"

Allen's voice cut through our conversation. "As if you could crush a heart. You couldn't kill a resolve, no matter how hard you try, Tyki Mikk." Lenalee sighed in relief. "Like I would ever run from the dark!" Looking up, he calmly ordered, "Leave Akicho alone. I'm your opponent." A burst of green shot up his arm, but he faltered, spitting out blood. Tyki stood and chuckled.

He'd taken too big a hit from Tyki's power.

The Parasite-type smiled a little. "I think you've misunderstood what an Exorcist is. You think that if you destroy the Innocence, an Exorcist becomes a normal person, a powerless human, right?" Wiping away blood from his mouth, Allen looked up, a renewed determination in his eyes. "Those are the ones you need to fear. We get power from the Innocence, but you should be afraid of the Exorcists who wield it!"

I stopped, standing from the floor. No… Allen really was aiming to kill Tyki! And Tyki really was going to try to kill Allen! Tyki only laughed and shot a burst of purple power at Allen. I gaped at him. He really had snapped. "Road! Get them out of here!" I yelled, rushing to Allen.

Inside Tyki's power, I couldn't breathe. It was like he was trying to suck all the air out of my body. I looked from one end of the vacuum to the other. One end had Allen and the other had Tyki. But… it was so far away… maybe… if I closed my eyes, I would be able to help Allen… After all, I couldn't do anything without breathing…

-TYKI MIKK-

He was pissed, and in no mood to stop from killing his prey.

Road yelled down, "Tyki! Akicho's in there, too!" He scoffed. She was probably lying to get the boy out. He reached into the vacuum and saw the Exorcist still able to move. How…? Why?

Why wouldn't this damn kid die?

As he ripped a hole in the vacuum so he could breathe, Tyki noticed someone fall out of the black hole and into the real world. Road wasn't lying; Akicho was out cold, and almost dead. His eyes widened considerably at the sight. She wasn't breathing, was she?

Looking back, he saw that even though the boy was supposed to be dead, his left eye was still working. The white-haired boy looked up, then back down at his arm. Tyki followed his gaze and glared. His Innocence was glowing again.

The Noah'd had enough. He plunged his hand through the boy's chest, gripping his heart. "I'm going to take your heart out now. You're really starting to annoy me," he mused angrily. His anger turned to shock as the boy's whole body flared green. His Innocence was still growing stronger.

Pulling his hand out of his chest, Tyki stepped back. The boy pulled a sword from his left arm. Damn thing was huge! It looked a hell of a lot like the Earl's sword! But… the boy's sword wasn't just pulled from his left arm. It was his left arm.

This was going to be tougher than he originally thought.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

A dream…

Is that where I was?

A dream?

I opened my eyes slowly. It was snowing. The sky was a light blue and a layer of white was covering all that I could see. There were no buildings. I could practically see the sky and land meet. A single figure was standing in front of me. They knelt down, the shadows moving away from their face. My eyes widened.

She was me. Or at least, a person who looked like me. She had the same hair, the same eyes, the same everything.

"Are you all right, Akicho?" she asked, extending a hand. I looked at it warily, not able to find my voice yet. "Oh, right. My name is Kumari, perhaps you know me?" she asked sweetly.

Kumari? As in my twin sister?

Her face creased in worry. "Akicho… I think you should know that I'm not your twin sister. Your past isn't what you think it is."

Finally finding my voice, I snapped, "Then explain!"

"I'm you, remember?" I glared a little. "I'm entirely serious. I am your sister, just not your twin. You did die. You died when you called me back, over thirty-five years ago." My eyes widened in surprise. Kumari sighed. "Maybe you should sit up a little for this story."

"Okay, here it goes. Over thirty-five years ago, I was part of the Black Order. My name was Kumari Tsumiko. You were my ten-year-old sister, Akicho Tsumiko, who I loved very much. I was killed by my own comrades because I betrayed them for love."

I choked a little. "What?"

Kumari smiled wryly. "Well, I fell in love with a Noah. You never knew him, but he was the most beautiful person ever. In fact, he looked a lot like your Tyki. His name was Neah Walker."

Neah… Walker? "Wait, Walker?" I asked. Did this "Neah Walker" have anything to do with the teenage Exorcist who was currently fighting Tyki to the death? "Does he have any connection to Allen Walker?"

She nodded. "Yep. He's his adoptive uncle." The place we were in shook a little and she looked up calmly. "Oops. I don't have a lot of time left. I guess I should speed up the story. Well, after I betrayed the Order, I died, and my sister, you, Akicho, decided to call me back. As soon as I was called back, General Cross destroyed me. Now, it took the Earl twenty-eight years, but he created a perfect Akuma. One that could be called back and take on its own personality. That was why they used your skin. The Earl called me back using a form of Neah's music. He shoved me in your body and now, seven years after the incident, I'm still alive in you. But now, you are you, and I am you, as well."

I nodded, trying to understand. "I get it. We're one soul now, right?" She smiled and nodded. "I understand now. I am living for my sister, and for myself. I have to make the most of this, and not screw it up." Kumari smiled widely as she began to fade.

_"Exactly."_

When I opened my eyes, I saw Allen holding… an oversized sword? Where the hell did he get that?

I gaped as Allen slashed across Tyki's chest. Before I could stop myself, I yelled, "Tyki! No, Allen, don't!" But when Tyki stepped back, he wasn't cut.

He asked, "What is this trick?"

Allen glared. "It's not a trick. I didn't cut your body." A ring of crosses appeared around Tyki's body. Allen didn't destroy Tyki. He destroyed the Noah inside Tyki. I gasped as Tyki crumpled in pain.

The ever-strong Tyki I knew for seven years was fading right in front of me. I struggled to stand, tripping at one point as I hurried to my brother's side. He was crying out in pain. Allen had killed a part of Tyki. I knelt next to him as he spat curses and insults at the Exorcist.

Road jumped down to help Tyki, but he stopped her. I gripped his shirt as he stood, taking me with him. Right in front of my eyes, Allen's sword pierced Tyki's chest, and once he ripped it out, Tyki fell, his gray skin turning human.

I watched in shock and horror as Road's human side began to fade. "No, Road! Don't!" I looked up to see that Chaoji had been stabbed with candles in his back. "Road… I'm still here!" She pushed me away and knelt besides Tyki. She didn't care.

Closing my eyes, I resigned. Road was going to kill Lavi. There was really nothing to be done. When Road snapped, there was no stopping that little girl. I stood again. No candles…

"Tyki isn't dead, Road." She glared up at me. "He's still a part of your family. And those twins… do you know how hard it is to kill those two? They're cockroaches, and it takes more than a single battle like this to bring them down." Her grip on Tyki's unmoving body loosened. "I know what it feels like to lose someone. Just don't let go of your memories."

She began to cry. "Whenever one of my family dies… I start to cry. To be perfectly honest, I don't care that Tyki had a sword plunged through his chest. I don't care how he was hurt. All I care about is killing the one who hurt him. Even if it is Allen."

I put a hand on the little girl's shoulder. "He'll be fine. Now, you promised me that if the fight between Tyki and Allen ended, you'd send me into Lavi's dream."

"I can't." I looked at her incredulously. "If you go in now, there's a chance that you will never come back out. Lavi's gone crazy in there."

I stood up and smiled a little at her. "All the more reason to go in and help him. Come on, Road, you'd do the same if Tyki was hurt. Lavi, however little I know him, is a friend and comrade, and if I let him die, I'm not sure I'll be able to live with that."

Allen and Lenalee stopped to stare at me in wonder. Road sighed. "As long as you're happy." She pulled the box with Lavi over and it shattered. "You have ten minutes, Akicho. That's all I'm giving you."

I nodded and she pressed her fingers to my forehead and her other hand to Lavi. My eyes closed and I drifted off to Lavi's dream.

-ALLEN WALKER-

What the hell? Was Akicho really in Lavi's dream? Her body collapsed onto the ground and Allen could only stare. She was willing to sacrifice her own life to go in and save Lavi?

Road looked up. "I know what you're thinking. But she loves Tyki and me and the twins as family. She wants to reach out to you, too." The little Noah gazed at Tyki's body. That's when Allen noticed that Akicho's hand was linked with Tyki's, and he glared at the unmoving girl. "She hates being alone. I remember when the Earl locked her away for three days as a punishment, and she said she didn't cry because she was afraid. She cried because she was lonely."

Allen's glare softened. Now that Kanda was gone and Allen had changed, Akicho didn't have anyone to really trust but her own family, unless she reached out to the Exorcists. He would have loved to help her, but with those candles around, there really wasn't anything he could do.

It was all up to Akicho now.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I was back in the Black Order. No, that's wrong.

I was in Lavi's dream of the Black Order.

I looked around to see Lavi facing… Allen? A fire seal from another Lavi erupted underneath Allen, and the white-haired boy fell. I pushed my way through the bodies and coffins. Lenalee, Kanda, and Krory were all advancing on Lavi, only to stick their weapons into his body.

After stumbling over the coffins, I realized what Lavi's greatest weakness was. His fight between wanting to be a Bookman and wanting to be a friend. "Lavi!" I called. He collapsed as the three pulled their weapons out of his chest. "Lavi, get up! You can still fight, and you can still be a Bookman! Bookmen aren't just recorders of history… they're human, too!"

He groaned a little, moving around on the floor. The shock was taking over.

Kanda, Krory, and Lenalee all faded away. Road's illusions. Not to mention the other Lavi that was standing there. I ran towards him and shook him. "Why? Why do you want Lavi to choose so badly?"

"He can't be human if he wants to be a Bookman."

Those were the last words I heard before something was plunged into my stomach. I guess that my weakness was the same as Lavi. I wanted to be an Exorcist, but I wanted to be close to the Noah, too.

Since I chose the Exorcists, I guess… Road would be my undoing.

My eyes opened and I saw Road looking down at me. "I told you, ten minutes." Something like a tattoo painted itself under Lavi's green eye. "If you want to save Lenalee and that human, you have to kill him." I could only watch as Lavi began to kick and punch at Allen, revealing his true strength.

_That's not Lavi. That's the illusion, and the Bookman side of Lavi._

But Road put a hand over my mouth. This wasn't fair to Allen. Allen pulled the unresponsive Lavi into a tight hug, but his friend only knocked him around even more.

I tried to pull Road's hand off of my mouth, and growled, "Let me back in! If that's a part of Lavi's mind, then maybe he can become both of them!"

Road giggled childishly. "Nope! Sorry, but he could only choose one. He chose to be a Bookman, and now, he's going to pay the price." He didn't choose Bookman. He was beaten by Bookman. A sharp gasp cut through my thoughts and I looked over to see Allen's huge sword embedded in Road's chest.

"_Road!_"

She just laughed and pulled it out. "Not a bad idea to attack Lavi in his weak point, but… I am me, and at the same time, I'm not." Now, Allen was weaponless and the Fire Seal completely overtook him.

I smirked a little. "Lavi… Lavi will never lose to himself. He is Lavi, and no one can split him in half. If he can't beat himself, he can never win." A Fire Seal erupted around Lavi, burning his own Bookman. "Lavi is always going to be Lavi."

But I couldn't leave it alone. If Lavi was going to die, and I said that I'd help him, I wouldn't give up now. Pulling myself up, I stumbled forwards, into the flames. His inner turmoil was causing him so much pain, and I could see that when he was inside his mind.

As I found Lavi, I put a hand on his shoulder. "You're always trying to save us. Save yourself for once, Lavi. Come back to us." I stood with the Junior Bookman, even when Allen burst in to save his friend, even when the white cloak wrapped around both Lavi and me, even when the flames started to turn to stone.

I could feel myself losing consciousness. I wasn't meant to be in that flame. Allen finally pushed out of the stone, taking both of us with him. Lavi and Allen both stood, coughing and choking. "It hurts to breathe!" Lavi complained, holding his neck. Both of them collapsed onto the ground. "We're alive."

"Do you have a problem with that?" Allen shot back weakly.

"You're too reckless, Allen."

"I'll throw those words right back at you."

I smiled a little as I stood, breathing heavily, letting out a harsh laugh as Lenalee ran up and slapped Lavi. But when Road started to laugh from across the room, I turned in worry. "Road?" I asked softly, gasping as she burst into black smoke, her clothing falling. "No!" I cried out, rushing over to pick up a ribbon from the stone pillars. "Not you, too…"

As I began to cry for my family, I realized that I'd lost too much in this damn Ark already. Kanda and Krory were dead, the twins were probably badly injured, and God knows what happened to Lulu. Now Tyki had been badly hurt, and Road was as good as dead. I had Allen, and Lavi, and Lenalee, but was that enough? Allen called, "Akicho! Get on!"

I shook my head stubbornly, rushing over to Tyki and Lero. "Tyki…" I grabbed his hand and sat down next to him. "I'm not coming, Allen. Not until I can get Tyki and Lero back up there, too."

Allen looked at me, but sighed. "Let's go." I could barely hear Lenalee's protests as Lavi's hammer pulled them up to the door.

"Tyki… I won't leave you. Not again." I smiled a little, propping myself up in his lap. "I love you, and I won't let you die." I looked up to Lero. "You should get out while you still can. I'm sure that the twins are injured, but okay. Tell them… that I'm sorry I couldn't bring Tyki's top hat with me." Lero shook his head. He wasn't about to leave Tyki now. "Then I guess that we're all doomed." I laughed dryly, letting my head fall back onto Tyki's shoulder.

Two arms wrapped around me. "I'm not leaving you, either," Tyki's voice whispered softly. "And neither are they." Thousands of tentacles extended from his hand, and once they came down, so did the door and Allen.

I asked softly, "Allen?" Tyki picked me up bridal style and put me down out of range of his attacks. "Tyki?" He wasn't a normal human. He was still a Noah, through and through. Allen's exorcism had failed. "Tyki, no!" Tyki and Allen were both ready to attack, then I noticed that Tyki's hand was bleeding badly as his body was almost completely taken over by the tentacles. His blood… was black.

Then everything exploded.

What was left of Tyki was a full demon. This was his full power. I stood up and slowly walked over to the demon. But Allen got there first. Even when his sword landed, Tyki had dodged and slashed him in the shoulder. I stopped.

Why was I hesitating? Why wasn't I trying to help Allen? Was it because I was afraid of Tyki's full power? Maybe I was, but now, I shouldn't be afraid of my brother. He was still Tyki, after all, right?

No, this wasn't Tyki.

Lavi and Allen combined couldn't escape him. He followed them up, leaving me to wonder and worry. I couldn't see what was happening, only that Lavi and Allen were getting badly beaten. Tyki… I turned to Lero, who was hiding behind a column.

"Lero, can you get me up there?" I practically begged. "I have to stop Tyki! At this rate, he'll kill both the Exorcists and himself! I can't let that happen, Lero!"

The umbrella looked around nervously. "Fine, fine, but only for Master Tyki." I grinned weakly and hopped onto him like I used to when I was ten. At least he could still support me.

That's when Allen and Lavi were plunged through the floor, and Lenalee was screaming. "Lero, get me up there, and fast!" He obliged and flew up faster than I ever thought he could. "Tyki!" I yelled. "Stop this, now!" Tyki looked over to me and only laughed. "Tyki, what's wrong?"

I got no answer from him. A tentacle from him slapped me in the head, like he did back in Barcelona, and I collapsed.

-TYKI MIKK-

He knew nothing but hate and rage. No pain, no sadness, and no love. His Noah side was all that was left. So why did he feel the need, the desire, to save that one girl? He looked down at the rubble, with the girl in his arms, only to see that damn sailor holding up the entire tower.

He growled and flew down, holding the girl, who was clearly out cold.

Just as he was about to finally rid himself of all of those stupid Exorcists, his attack was countered by the other two. He growled again and put the girl down, letting her rest.

Why did he care?

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

Fighting. That's all I could hear. Tyki was still going, even after all the wounds he'd sustained in the battle against Allen. But everything was just so hard… even breathing took me too much energy. Was this the end?

Lavi was screaming, too, and Chaoji's yells were mixed in with everything else. We were falling, and the Ark was almost done for. This really was the end, wasn't it? I chuckled weakly, struggling to open my eyes and see what was happening.

Yeah, I was falling. Down into a deep black hole. I wished I could call out for help, but I guess that wishing just doesn't cut it sometimes, does it?

_Sorry about that, Kumari. I guess I wasted my life._

…

…

Warmth, cold. Voices, silence. How could I still hear and feel? Wasn't I dead? I could hear a voice… A familiar melody rang in my head. A piano…

_"And so, the boy fell into a deep sleep. The struggling flames lay in the ashes. One by one, rise up and swell into that lovely face…"_

How did I know this song? Why was it familiar to me?

_"Thousands of dreams float above the Earth. Those dreams… On the night when silver eyes trembled, you were born in a sparkling light."_

Kumari's soft voice told me, "Neah taught it to me. You know it, too."

_"Though hundreds of millions of months and years will pass, no matter how many prayers return to the Earth, I will continue to pray. Please deliver this love."_

"Neah…"

I opened my eyes slowly, almost painfully, as if I'd been asleep for hundreds of years. The Ark was being pieced back together. Everyone was going to be okay.

I could sleep now. Allen would take care of everything. Kanda and Allen and Lavi and Lenalee and Chaoji. They would all go home safe. I could finally rest.

_Goodnight, Akicho…_

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><p><strong>A longer chapter for all you guys! I'm almost done drafting this story, thank whatever powers that be that gave me the strength to find the creativity to finish this. I've been so distracted by life lately, sorry about that guys! I'll try to update more often now. ;o; Before college (ew) completely steals me away OTL god that's going to be horrible.<strong>

**I can't believe it's been almost five years since I first opened this account...**

**I feel old. ._.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading everyone! Please anticipate the next chapter~ ^o^**


	15. for all those who lost

**Reckoning  
>Chapter 15<br>for all those who lost**

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><p>-LAVI-<p>

Everything was all right. All of them were okay. Lavi was sure that all of the others were revived, too. Chaoji, and Lenalee, and Allen, and even Akicho. He looked at the girl. She was looking especially pale, but had a pulse, at least. "Chaoji. Take her. We've gotta find Allen!"

-YU KANDA-

Kanda stumbled through the door of that bastard Noah's room that would lead back to the town, supporting the vampire. That's when he heard the stupid rabbit yell, "Yu's underwear!"

He growled a little and flung the door open. "Bring it on, you retarded rabbit," he spat. The rabbit happily exclaimed both Exorcist's names and Kanda simply demanded, "What's going on here?" He looked around and noticed that Akicho was on Chaoji's back, unconscious.

Lavi shrugged. "I don't know, either," he deadpanned. "Hey! Get your ass out here, beansprout!"

The beansprout's voice yelled back, "Who're you calling a beansprout, stupid Lavi!" Kanda looked up. His voice was coming from…

"The beansprout's voice is coming from the sky."

"The name's Allen, BaKanda!"

Kanda dropped the vampire onto Lavi and walked over to Chaoji. "What's wrong with her?" he asked sharply. "Let me see." He practically dragged her away from Chaoji. "Heh. She's just out cold."

She groaned a little and squirmed away from him." God, go away, Lavi! I'm trying to sleep!" she grumbled angrily. Kanda smirked a little and slapped her forehead gently. "Don't hit me!" she snapped, hitting his hand away.

He snapped, "Open your eyes. I'm not the stupid rabbit." Her brown eyes opened and once they landed on Kanda, she sat up quickly.

But they soon narrowed and she smacked the back of his head. "You idiot! You said that you wouldn't die!" she yelled, glaring angrily at the Japanese Exorcist. "But…" reaching around, she pulled him into a hug. "I'm glad you're okay, Kanda."

He didn't reply to her hug, just quietly said, "Sorry for dying."

"You should be," she shot back playfully.

Someone cleared their throat and Akicho quickly pulled away to see Lavi looking at the two smugly. Kanda glared at the stupid rabbit and Akicho's face turned a deep red. Lavi simply smirked. "Someone wants to see you." He stepped aside to reveal the beansprout.

Akicho's face lit up and she quickly hugged Allen. "You're all right, you're all right! I thought that Tyki had you for good!"

The beansprout smiled and hugged her back, replying, "Well, thanks for having so much confidence in me, Akicho. At least I'm in one piece, right?" She pulled away and nodded. "Kanda and Krory are okay, too, right?"

She laughed. "Yeah, clearly, if Kanda is still able to call you a bean sprout, right?" Allen grumbled something in reply and she laughed again. "Well, you guys go check for danger. I'll look after Krory. Now that the Noah have another Ark, I think all my transporting power has been taken to that Ark, too. But maybe not, so just check that everything's green."

After scanning the entire town, Kanda and Chaoji met up with the beansprout and stupid rabbit. "Something's been bothering me, Kanda," the beansprout said. "What's with that huge mark on your chest? You've always had that, right?"

"It's nothing," Kanda snapped.

The beansprout clapped, his face turning eerily happy. "That's not very nice of you, Kanda. Let's play catch with the conversation ball!"

He snapped, "Shut the hell up!" He was sure that everyone else could practically see the tension. "Anyway, isn't there a way out of here, beansprout?" he demanded.

"My name's Allen, you bastard!"

"Quit fighting, guys."

The stupid beansprout opened a door to nowhere and thought it was a great idea to hang onto Kanda, who grabbed the rabbit, who Chaoji grabbed. Of course, what a wonderful way to die. "Fall by yourself, you damn beansprout!"

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I sighed. Well, everyone's okay. I had dragged Krory up to Lenalee and Cross, and then, I went to find if there was any way out. But that one door that could lead out was gone. I looked down in defeat. Looks like Allen was the only one who could get us out of here now.

When I walked back up, I was greeted by the sight of Lenalee and Cross, who were probably just talking, and Lavi and Allen freaking out badly. I laughed a little. Things were going back to normal.

It was time to go home. Maybe I would be able to stay with my family this time.

I looked to Kanda, and I saw the sapphire dangling from the chain around his neck. "You kept it on?" I asked happily. He looked over to me and nodded. "I'm glad that it could help you."

He smirked a little. "Yeah."

I watched as Allen played that familiar melody so we could finally leave. I knew now that I had always been connected to this Ark.

A door opened in the middle of the room, and the chains connecting the Ark to Edo shattered. We were going to be going home. Lavi jumped out of the door first, then Allen and Lenalee, and finally, me and Kanda. Kanda dragged Chaoji out, and I helped Krory out of the Ark, too.

I noticed the General on the ground, crying. Walking over to Tiedoll, I knelt in front of him. "We're all going home now, General."

It took a while, but we all got back to Headquarters after a brief run-in at the Asian Branch. Once again, we all stood at the gate to the Ark, and the entire remainder of the Order was there, holding up a huge Welcome Home banner for all of the Exorcists. After a nod from all of her friends, Lenalee immediately ran to Komui, and I couldn't help but start to cry.

Kanda noticed and scoffed. "You're not seriously crying, are you?" I looked up at him. "You're such a child."

I pouted and retorted, "I'm not a kid, Kanda!"

Everything else happened really fast. When Miranda deactivated her Innocence, I watched as everyone's wounds came back, including mine. I felt blood running down the side of my head, and some of my ribs snapping. I fell as my twisted ankle gave out. I held onto my side as all of us were wheeled away to safety.

This was it. We were home, and the danger was over.

For the next few days, I spent time in either the hospital wing or the Ark. Thank God I didn't get caught, though. I visited each room of my family, each room that they ended up fighting in. Skin, Tyki, Road, Jasdevi, Lulu… they were okay, right? I even got up the courage to visit some of the rooms of the family I wasn't familiar with; Maitora, Fiidora, Toraido, Maashiima, Sheryl, and Wisely, were some of them.

When I walked back to the infirmary with the help of my crutches to visit all of my friends. When I walked in, everyone was being excessively lively. Even Kanda and Tiedoll. All I could do was laugh at their antics. "Kanda." The blue-haired Exorcist turned to me. "Hey. I just wanted to check up on you, since you seemed to be really hurt." I grabbed one of his formerly burnt hands and looked down at them. "Just as I thought. You're healed."

He shrugged. "Yeah. You know why." I looked up at him worriedly. "Stop worrying. Aren't you hurt, too?"

"Just a few scratches here and there, but nothing too big. I do have a few broken ribs and a twisted ankle, but hey, I'm alive and moving." I smiled widely. "Besides, the twist wasn't so bad. The twins patched me up pretty good."

Kanda's eyes widened. "The _Noah_ helped you?" he demanded quietly. "Why?"

My smile faded a little. "Yeah, but I guess it's 'cause they owed me." I sat on the edge of his bed and looked down. "I just want to keep going so I can find my own way to live. If it means turning to the people I should hate, then I'll do it."

His eyes narrowed and he snapped, "You won't be able to save them."

"I know. But hell, I can try." I looked up at him and grinned sheepishly. "Besides, who else is gonna save my ass if you guys aren't around?" He grunted in reply. "Yeah, thought so. Now, you get some rest."

He pulled away. "I don't need rest."

I pushed him back down and snapped, "Shut up and do what I tell you for once in your life! A little rest won't kill you! Besides… something big is going down with the Generals and other Branch Heads." I looked towards the door and grimaced. "These two men were walking down the hall, and they looked really angry."

Kanda sat up and exclaimed, "What?! Who?!"

Shrugging, I replied, "No clue. All I know is that it's probably not going to be good for any of us that were involved with the Ark."

It wasn't good. It wasn't good at all.

Their names were Malcolm C. Lvellie and Howard Link. They were Special Inspectors from Central. They were here to uncover what _really_ happened to all of us in that Ark, and why Allen was so powerful. Things weren't going our way, and the scale of power was being tipped as their control over the rest of the branches of the Black Order was established.

We had to hide the truth about Allen from them, but what about the truth about _me_?

-TYKI MIKK-

He looked lazily out his window, watching as the rain kept falling. He groaned softly, letting his head fall against the cold glass. His gaze moved down to his hands, which were now permanently gray. Ever since that boy, Allen Walker, struck him with his sword, he only knew that he'd felt pain around his middle, and where his heart was. Everything else was a blur to him.

He and Road were rescued by the Millennium Earl, who wasn't very happy that both of them had failed to kill the Exorcists _and_ had allowed the Ark to fall into the hands of the Black Order. Road was still recovering from Bookman Junior's last attack that forced her to retreat. That was probably the first time that she'd ever left the battlefield truly harmed.

And Akicho…

Tyki's fist clenched tightly, turning a pale gray in color. He didn't even know if she was still alive. He had no idea of how he could find out. He sighed, letting his hands fall limp at his sides. It'd been a few days since the battle, and he knew that it was only a matter of time until Lulu was sent in to take back the Akuma Egg from those Exorcists.

He bit his lip. They had to get that Egg soon, or Akicho would…

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!

Running his hand through his now shoulder-length hair, he looked to the door. Maybe the twins would know something. After all, they were Akicho's age. He stumbled towards the door, lighting up a cigarette.

He passed the doors of Lulu, Road, and Wisely, finally stopping at Jasdero and Debitto's. He pushed it open, and marched in. The raven-haired twin looked up from whatever he was doing, and chided, "Smoking isn't healthy, Tyki-pyon. You're gonna get cancer and die." He paused, then added, "If you do, can I have your room? It's getting crowded in here."

"That's only because you two are such slobs," replied Tyki nastily. He looked around the pigsty – I mean, room – and dropped his cigarette butt on the floor. "I hope you don't mind; it may lighten up the smell."

Jasdero protested, "Hi! We don't smell that bad! We took a shower less than two months ago!"

Pulling out another cigarette, Tyki muttered, "Well, that explains a lot." He looked at the desk in front of the two. A book? He snatched it up, flipping through the pages. "I didn't think you two could read," he said dryly, noting how "advanced" the vocabulary was. He smirked a little and put it back down on the desk.

Debitto drew himself up indignantly. "We're gonna try and impress Akicho when she comes home. She always wanted us to be able to read."

"Jasdevi is gonna read a bedtime story to her!" Jasdero cheered, looking up eagerly. Tyki twitched. Those two were… unhealthily attached to her. "She always read one to us."

The Noah of Pleasure's eyes softened. Akicho was that kind of person. "She's actually what I came here to talk about." He moved a pile of junk off of the bed, sitting in its place. "You two know the _real_ story behind Akicho's past, right?"

The twins nodded solemnly. "We always were against keeping her in the dark," the dark-haired twin replied. "Is it about that Egg that was taken by stupid Cross?" he spat bitterly.

Tyki nodded. "Yes. You know what happens if she comes in contact with it, right?"

The two nodded again. "Yeah, Jasdevi knows what'll happen." It was Jasdero who answered. "But doesn't she already know?" he asked, tilting his head to the side curiously. "Didn't you tell her, Tyki-pyon?"

"Don't call me 'Tyki-pyon,' you morons," he snapped instinctively. Then he stopped, and sighed. "No, I never told her anything. If the Earl found out if I did… he wouldn't hesitate to kill her." Jasdevi both straightened up at the mention of the words "kill" and "her" in the same sentence.

Horrified looks took over their faces. "No way!" Debitto exclaimed indignantly. "Jasdevi wouldn't let her die! We'd stop him before he could even lay a finger on her!"

"Hi! That's right!" Jasdero agreed, nodding furiously. They both stood up sharply, brandishing their guns. The book they were reading fell to the floor. "We'll kill him ourselves!"

Tyki stepped forward and slapped the twins' heads. "If the Earl hears you, we'll have no chance."

Debitto peered up at the taller Noah curiously. "How long have you been the rebellious child?" he asked. Tyki scoffed. "Don't deny it; you just said that if the Earl hears us, _we'll_ have no chance."

Sighing, he lit up a cigarette. He took a seat on the bed, pushing more books off of the blankets. "I'm not going to rebel against the Earl. I'd have to be stupid to do that. But… I'm not sure what I'm going to do now. I have no light left." He stared down at his gray-skinned hand, clenching it into a fist.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

Allen was separated from Cross, and was being forced to use the Ark in whatever way Lvellie demanded that he decided. He even sent his crony, Howard Link, to watch Allen all day, every day. That bastard was willing to toss the lives of the only remaining Exorcists away to stop the Millennium Earl. He didn't care how many of the Exorcists died. His only concern was winning.

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. Everything was falling apart. Allen was being torn from the rest of us, suspected of being dangerous, and Kanda, Lenalee, Lavi, and the others were all still in the hospital wing. My hand flew to my side unconsciously, to my bandaged ribs. I got lucky; a few broken ribs, one or two shattered, a few scratches on my body, and a twisted ankle.

But I couldn't sleep. I was having nightmares again. This time, I was always in a cold dark place, and I couldn't see anything. I was the only one there. But I heard a voice…

_"Don't you worry. I'll get you out of there, I promise you. Just hold on a little longer, okay? I'm coming… Kumari."_

Footsteps and yelling snapped me out of my trance. I looked up to see someone running right out of Lab Five, closing the door behind him. A confused look spread over my face as I carefully glanced around. No one was looking. I pulled open the door, careful to make sure no one heard anything, and tiptoed inside.

As soon as I closed the door, I felt something stirring. My heart started to pump faster, and I clutched at my chest, gasping for air. I fell to my knees, panting, and waited for the feeling to pass. It didn't pass quickly, though, and as it was fading, I crawled closer to whatever was down that long, dark hall.

I stopped suddenly. My body didn't want me to move…

Reaching out, I felt my hand touch something.

It felt… familiar.

A bright flash reached out among the hall. My hair flew back, and my eyes widened. My hand sunk further into the object. It was the Akuma Egg that Cross and Allen brought back from the Ark. I shrieked as the Egg pulled me into its clutches, trying to pull my hand back out of the egg.

Then nothing.

-YU KANDA-

Bean sprout? Under surveillance.

Idiot rabbit? Still as stupid as ever.

Lenalee? Traumatized by Lvellie.

Akicho? … God knows where the hell she was.

She'd been missing since breakfast, when… what was his name? Ah, Link. Link announced that the bean sprout would be watched. She'd stood up and walked off, not bothering to finish her meal. It'd been at least seven hours; she should've been seen by someone.

Anyone who tried to defend the bean sprout was thought of as a Noah's agent, too. No one could truly voice their opinions anymore without being criticized for them. Even Kanda had to keep quiet now.

But Akicho… she had more at stake. If she was found out to have ties to the Noah, forget her being an innocent person. She'd be killed in an instant.

Kanda stayed as far away from Lvellie and Link as he possibly could. He, too, had an awful past with the inspector from Central. _He_ was the one who performed that horrible experiment on him. _He_ was the reason that the Japanese Exorcist couldn't die.

And he'd be damned if he allowed Akicho to receive the same damn treatment as he did in the old Order.

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><p><strong>And here is where things start to get really fun.<strong>

**I'm almost done writing this story, and I'm so happy with how it's turning out. Please don't expect anything, guys, because starting with the Level 4, things get weird. No predictions... just... omigosh I'm trying to hard not to spoil anything for it.**

**Please leave a review! ^^**

**XOXO**


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